Audi is delaying the electric A4 by around a year. Production was supposed to begin in 2028.
Audi has delayed the launch of its first all-electric A4 by about a year. British magazine Autocar reported this, citing an insider at the company. The sedan was scheduled to go into production at the main plant in Ingolstadt in 2028, so under the new plan it will arrive around 2029. There are three reasons for this: Volkswagen Group’s poor financial condition, delays with the software for the SSP platform, and design changes requested by Audi itself.
The electric A4 is set to compete with the new BMW i3 and the electric Mercedes C-Class, both of which are already available in Europe. The current Audi A5, which replaced the A4 in the lineup, is now only offered as a plug-in hybrid.
Audi wants an interior similar to that of the gasoline-powered A4
SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) was intended to provide electric sedans within the group with a common structure. However, Audi requested separate footwell areas for front and rear passengers, rather than a completely flat floor like many cars designed from the start as electric vehicles. According to an Autocar source, this is to maintain the cabin layout, steering position, and interior proportions that have defined the A4 for years. This implies significant changes to the lower part of the body, which was supposed to be common to all SSP sedans.
The second change relates to the electrical system. The equipment and auxiliary components are designed to operate at 48 V instead of the originally planned 12 V, similar to the Tesla Cybertruck. A higher voltage allows for thinner wires and the use of more powerful computers.
SSP: A 2026 plan, with no production cars yet
The first models based on SSP were supposed to roll off the assembly lines in 2026, yet not a single production unit has been made to date.
The problem isn’t limited to Audi. The Volkswagen ID. Golf, also built on SSP, is facing delays as well, meaning the brand will stick with its current lineup of electric vehicles through the end of the decade. The group is abandoning some of its ambitious plans, cutting costs, and is also struggling with its own success. VW’s cheaper electric cars sell well in Europe and factories can’t keep up with production, but the group still makes more money from gasoline-powered vehicles.
Electronics are also back on the management’s agenda for other reasons. At the end of October, Manager Magazin reported that Volkswagen is considering using Xpeng’s CEA architecture for about 75% of the next generation of VW, Skoda, and Cupra models. At that time, it was merely a proposal for evaluation, not a decision.
The new launch date for the electric A4 is currently unofficial information from Autocar. Thus, this sedan will reach showrooms in Europe, including Poland, at the earliest by the end of the decade.
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