Audi A4 e-tron: The main rival to the BMW i3 and Mercedes Classe C electric car is falling further behind
Audi seemed finally ready to launch a true electric rival to the BMW i3 and Mercedes Classe C Electric. However, the launch of the A4 e-tron, which was still scheduled for 2028 just a few weeks ago, appears to be several months behind schedule. Its production is now expected to begin only in spring 2029... Why? Due to the challenges surrounding Volkswagen Group’s new SSP platform.
Audi will have to wait patiently. While the brand already has several electric models in its premium segment, it still lacks a family sedan capable of directly competing with Germany’s leading models in this category. It seems this gap may persist longer than anticipated...
The launch of the electric Audi A4 is shifting to 2029
At the beginning of summer, Rouven Mohr, Audi’s head of technical development, still confirmed an arrival of the A4 e-tron in 2028. According to reports from our colleagues at Handelsblatt, the industrial launch has now been delayed. Production is not expected to begin until March 2029, or possibly April or May.
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A discrepancy that is by no means trivial. BMW has already been producing its new i3 in Munich since August 2026, while Mercedes has been selling its new electric Class C this year. Both sedans benefit from an 800-volt architecture and claim ranges of 906 km and 762 km respectively under WLTP standards. In other words, by the time the A4 e-tron arrives, its main competitors will already have several years of market presence.
The SSP platform still poses problems
Apparently, the cause of the delay is technological. The Audi A4 e-tron was supposed to be one of the first models to use SSP, Volkswagen Group’s future common electric architecture. Originally planned for 2026, it now faces a delay of nearly three years itself. This platform is intended to introduce a new zonal electronic architecture and incorporate technologies developed in partnership with the American company Rivian.
Volkswagen plans configurations for 400 and 800 volts, several battery types, and high levels of component sharing. But not everything is going as planned. There are reportedly technical issues. For Audi, however, the stakes go beyond just the launch date. The A4 e-tron is meant to be the brand’s flagship technological showcase...
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The manufacturer clearly prefers to wait rather than release its new architecture too early. Yet by 2029, it won’t just need to catch up with BMW and Mercedes—it will need to do better. And that already seems complicated. But let’s not write Audi off too quickly.