The new Audi A8 will not be offered with an all-electric variant, with Audi instead choosing to focus on its traditionally fuelled line-up as well as a plug-in hybrid to be introduced next year.


Audi's large cars boss, Peter Fromm, said: "For this model, we do not plan an electric A8. But in future [A8 models], yes."

Based on current product lifecycles, that means it’s unlikely there will be an all-electric A8 until 2024.

However, a flagship A9 e-tron electric luxury saloon is due to be added to the line-up in that time.

Audi’s first foray into electric vehicles will be the E-tron SUV next year, which will have a range of 496 kilometers. Another two electric models will be introduced in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Talking about the E-Tron, Audi UK boss Andrew Doyle said: “We might not have been first to market but we will have the best EV on the market. It's not going to be huge-volume from the beginning."

He added that the Government’s plans to roll-out more public fast chargers is important for the take-up of EVs.

Talking about the recently announced plans to make all cars electric in France by 2040, Fromm said he believed this was a reasonable timeline: "By 2040, we're going to make it [all electric]."  

Also read : Audi unveils its fourth generation flagship model A8