Audi is dropping both its name and logo to capture customers in China. The new electric car is simply called AUDI and will bypass Denmark altogether.
Audi has announced when it will launch a brand new electric car brand with almost the same name. However, the car will be driven entirely outside of Denmark.
The launch of the first AUDI – yes, that's the name – will take place in Shanghai on April 25. The first model, bearing the name "E", will be released without the traditional four rings that otherwise characterize the parent company's cars.
The change comes as an attempt to cater to the Chinese market, where sales otherwise appear to be plummeting.
The electric car has been developed specifically for the Chinese market in collaboration with the Chinese group SAIC, which, among other things, owns the former British brand, MG.
The "E" model is equipped with a 100 kWh battery, which according to Chinese testing standards provides a range of up to 700 kilometers.
The new car drives around Denmark – AUDI is only Chinese
The car will have two electric motors that deliver 745 horsepower and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. It can also be charged to drive 300 kilometers in just 10 minutes.
The launch of the new brand comes at a time when demand for electric cars in China is growing. Audi's decision to develop a car specifically for the Chinese market is part of a larger strategy to strengthen the Germans' presence in the world's largest car market.
Incidentally, it was a decline in Chinese sales that led to Audi's previous CEO being fired. Read more about it here.
The design of the E-model differs from traditional Audi models and appears more futuristic. By removing the four rings, Audi/AUDI is trying to signal that the car is only intended for the Chinese market.
The change in Audi's visual identity is not only evident in the new model. In Europe, the traditional chrome rings on Audi models have also disappeared. The rings are still there, but they are now small, almost indistinct black characters.
