Audi will launch more plug-in hybrids in the coming year, likely as a hedge against fluctuating EV sales.
The automaker launched several new models in 2024, with a restructured lineup creating a sharper delineation between internal-combustion and electric vehicles. Audi will continue building out that lineup in 2025, but with plug-in hybrids closing some of the gap.
2022 Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid
“In 2025, we will continue our model initiative and renew key model families such as the Audi A7 and Audi Q3. Customers can look forward to numerous new plug-in hybrids as well,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said in a press release detailing the automaker’s 2024 sales results.
In a July 2024 interview with Autocar, Döllner said Audi still aims to have an all-electric lineup by 2033, but that there will be an extended “transition phase” to get to that point, with plug-in hybrids potentially helping to smooth that transition. These new plug-in hybrids could offer up to 62 miles of electric range, Autocar reported at the time. That’s likely based on the more lenient WLTP testing cycle.
2022 Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid
For now, the 2025 Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid is the only such model in Audi’s U.S. lineup. Offering 28 miles of EPA electric range, we found it provided a reasonably harmonious blend of gasoline and electric propulsion when we first tested it as a 2021 model. A redesigned Q5 is scheduled to reach U.S. showrooms later this year, but so far Audi hasn’t confirmed a new plug-in hybrid variant.
The Q5 and the discontinued Audi A7 plug-in hybrid were recalled in late 2024 due to fire concerns stemming from defective battery modules. The Q5 plig-in hybrid was also included in a 2023 recall of 240-volt Level 2 AC charging cables, alongside all-electric models from both Audi and Porsche.