Audi's 2026 Electric A3 to Replace A1 and Q2

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Audi shifts focus to affordable electric cars with a new A3-sized EV launching in 2026, a year earlier than originally planned.

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CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung the compact EV will be built at their Ingolstadt plant in Germany.

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The timing comes amid Audi's struggling electric transition, with EV sales down 7.8% to 164,480 units in 2024.

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Industry experts believe the new model will use the MEB platform, likely resembling a premium version of Volkswagen's upcoming €25,000 ID.2 hatchback.

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The compact EV will sit below Audi's current entry-level electric Q4 E-Tron, which starts at €46,150 in Germany.

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If based on VW's ID.2all concept, consumers might expect ranges up to 280 miles (WLTP) and about 222 horsepower.

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This strategic move positions Audi ahead of BMW, which reportedly won't offer entry-level EVs until 2030, but follows Mercedes' new CLA electric car.

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Audi's plan emerges while the company cuts 7,500 jobs by 2029 and recently closed its Brussels plant due to slow Q8 E-Tron sales.

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