Despite facelift

Audi stops e-tron GT in China – this is the reason

(Bild: Audi)

Audi has just given its sporty e-tron GT electric saloon a major update, giving it a huge upgrade. At the same time, however, word has leaked out that the car will no longer be sold everywhere: It is no longer available in China.

Automobilwoche has learned this from company circles. Audi then confirmed that it intends to proceed according to the motto "In China for China", i.e. primarily to offer versions produced locally and specially designed for the Chinese market. For example, the upcoming Audi Q6 and A6 e-tron models will be built in long-wheelbase versions for the Middle Kingdom in Changchun.

The decision to discontinue the e-tron GT there is likely to have been both difficult and easy for the Ingolstadt-based company: last year, they only sold 188 units in this huge market, so the grief is likely to be limited. On the other hand, it was certainly not the management's wish to fail so spectacularly - just one year after the market launch.

Its platform brother, the Porsche Taycan, is certainly successful in China. And the Zuffenhausen variant is also far ahead worldwide: while Audi delivered just 11,203 vehicles of the e-tron GT in 2023, Porsche delivered 40,629 Taycans in the same period, almost four times as many.