Audi has suspended production of the Audi A3 and Audi Q2 cars at its plant in Ingolstadt due to the storm that hit that part of Germany. Heavy rain and storms caused rivers to overflow, flooding the roads and surrounding areas near the factory.
The Ingolstadt plant is Audi’s largest facility where the A3, Q2, A4 and A5 models are produced, and the company has currently suspended day shift operations while night shift operations are being considered. Access to the plant has been blocked for workers, so for employees who do not live in flooded areas, Audi management has offered the possibility of using its flexible work options.
It should also be noted that the production of the new electric model Q6 e-tron started there, but it was temporarily suspended for technical reasons. Production of the Q6 e-tron will resume next week, according to a statement from the German brand.
Unfortunately, two people lost their lives in the storm, several went missing, while thousands of people had to leave their homes due to high water levels.
Audi has been confusing the public for seven years with its naming scheme, i.e. the numbers on its TFSI, TDI and Quattro models, and now the manufacturer from Ingolstadt, Germany, has decided to change it.
Audi has decided to simplify its offering, starting with the new electric crossover, the Audi Q6 E-Tron. The standard version of this model will be known as the Q6 E-Tron Quattro, and will have four-wheel drive, while the more powerful version is called the SQ6 E-Tron. However, Audi could offer a version with a different battery size, which will be called “Performance”.
The head of Audi’s sales and marketing department for electric vehicles, Florian Hauser, confirmed in an interview with Auto Express that it is no longer necessary to use the numbers, and that the decision to remove them will also apply to diesel and gasoline models. The two-digit designation will be incorporated from the lids and tailgate of models with internal combustion engines, but it is not yet known whether the previous nomenclature will be completely discarded by dropping it from configurators, marketing materials and the like.
Also, former Audi director Markus Duesmann confirmed last year that some models will get new names. From the next generation Audi A4 will become A5 and A6 will become A7. It remains to be seen whether a sedan will arrive as a successor to the outgoing A4 after photos of the Sportback were released.
It is obvious that Audi has decided to separate the electric models (A4 and A6) from the ICE models (A5 and A7) with new designations. Some models will be retired in the meantime, such as the Audi A1 and the Q2 subcompact crossover. At the end of last year, the same fate befell the sports model TT, while the end of March will mean the end of the R8 model.
It should be noted that Audi is seriously considering the Q9 SUV. This could fit into the plans of the German company, which previously announced that it will introduce several new models in the next two years, and the Q9 could be one of them. “Yes, of course. If you look at our volume compared to other brands, you will see that we are not in some segments unlike them,” said Managing Director of Audi Australia Jeff Mannering.
Currently it is not known whether the Q9 will be fully electric or powered by an internal combustion engine, but if we remember that Audi plans to produce only EVs from 2026, electric motors are a closer option.
