The first electric car jointly developed by Audi and SAIC will enter the Chinese market in 2025. This will help improve Audi's poor sales performance in the new energy vehicle sector. The electric car will be officially unveiled in November of this year.
Soon, the new Audi-branded electric vehicle developed in collaboration with SAIC will enter the market. Interestingly, Audi chose SAIC as its partner to introduce this new electric vehicle, rather than its Chinese ally FAW Group. Last year, Audi sold about 31,000 vehicles in China, lacking a share in the rapidly growing market for environmentally friendly vehicles.
The first information about the cooperation between Audi and SAIC emerged in 2023. According to early rumors, Audi decided to use the iO Origin platform for its new electric vehicles, a platform from the IM Motors brand, which is jointly managed by SAIC and Alibaba.
In May 2024, Audi officially confirmed this partnership. However, the German automaker stated that its new models would be built on an advanced digital platform (ADP). Therefore, the new electric vehicles will not use the iO Origin platform. However, this structure was developed under the guidance of a Chinese team. According to Audi, the ADP has shortened the time to launch the new electric vehicle by more than 30%. Previously, the German automaker suffered from long launch cycles for vehicles on its PPE platform.
As reported by Deutsche Welle China, the first joint electric vehicle will be a mid-sized electric vehicle, officially unveiling in November. This vehicle will first launch in China in 2025. Sources mentioned that the new electric vehicle will not use Audi's traditional four-ring logo. This way, it will be easy to distinguish between electric vehicles developed in China and those originating from Germany.
