Audi to rebadge lineup to reflect EV-combustion split

Audi will be renaming its model lineup to make a clear distinction between full-electric and internal-combustion vehicles as it prepares a major EV product push, CEO Markus Duesmann said.

Even numbers will be used for EV-only models, while odd numbers will designate internal combustion ones, including plug-in hybrids, Duesmann told journalists last week at Audi's annual news conference. The Heilbronner Stimme, a German newspaper, first reported the change.

"We are expanding our product portfolio with new electric-drive models and that is why we are restructuring our naming conventions," he said.

The brand's first full-electric vehicle was the E-tron, a large crossover that was launched in 2019; it also sells the E-tron GT, a large four-door sporty sedan. 

Currently Audi's alphanumeric model names do not make a distinction between powertrains. The lineup starts with the small A1, and goes up to the A8 flagship sedan, Q8 crossover and R8 sports car. 

German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz have their own naming conventions for EVs, with Mercedes adding "EQ" to its letter series, while BMW adds an "i" to its number series.

Mercedes plans to drop the EQ designation, starting as early as 2024, according to German news reports.

Audi has already started to rename some models. The E-tron, which was updated at the start of this year, is now called the Q8 E-tron. The brand's next full-electric model will be the midsize Q6 E-tron crossover. Duesmann did not say if the E-tron GT would be renamed. 

According to the newspaper report, the A4 and A6 combustion models will be renamed A5 and A7, respectively.

The current A5 and A7 will not have direct successors as internal combustion models, thus eliminating any confusion with the new A4 and A6 names.