Audi South Africa will go full throttle on electric vehicles (EVs) next year, when it plans to introduce six electric models across three different model ranges on the local market.

The launch follows the announcement earlier this year by the German luxury brand that by 2026 every new Audi model launched on the global market will be all-electric.

The automaker will, however, continue to manufacture vehicles with internal combustion engines until 2033. Petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles will slowly be phased out of production during this period.

In South Africa, Audi says it is “confidently progressing an electric agenda” and that it will be introducing the e-tron nameplate – Audi’s electric nameplate – to consumers in the first quarter of next year.

“Across the world, the automotive industry is announcing plans to phase out combustion engines to advance the transformation of the industry for the future,” says Audi South Africa head Sascha Sauer.

“As Audi South Africa, we see ourselves as being in a position to contribute to this global vision, and having the responsibility to do that.

“Not only are we aligned with the importance of sustainability, but we have the technology, performance and design credentials within our e-tron range to offer our premium customers an all-electric drive that will inspire and excite.”

The fully fledged e-tron range to be introduced on the local market includes the Audi e-tron 50 and e-tron 55 sports-utility vehicles, the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 and e-tron Sportback S crossover utility vehicles, and the Audi e-tron GT and Audi RS e-tron GT high- performance vehicles.

“Announcing our electric vehicle range is a key part of our objective to have the youngest and freshest product offering in the market and we’re excited to share more details with our customers on our electric journey over the next few months,” says Sauer.

Product specification and pricing of the e-tron range will be announced closer to the launch date.