Audi appears to be postponing the launch of the electric A4 by several months. While the initially planned start date was 2028, the production of the important mid-size model, produced by Volkswagen’s Ingolstadt subsidiary, is now expected to begin as early as May 2029. Sources within the corporate and supervisory boards describe the start date in Audi circles as March 2029.
According to the Handelsblatt, the delay is primarily due to bottlenecks in the development of Volkswagen’s common SSP platform, as well as internal corporate alignments. SSP stands for “Scalable Systems Platform” and is intended to become the long-term technical standard for electric vehicles across the VW Group.
The report notes that aside from the A4, electric versions of the best-selling T-Roc and Golf are also affected by schedule changes. Company sources indicate that these models will not hit the market before 2030. Neither Audi nor Volkswagen commented on a potential shift in the SSP timeline.
It was mentioned that Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has made significant changes during the development of the Audi A4, including the introduction of a 48-volt electrical system. This higher voltage enables the integration of more powerful processors and suggests the existence of a larger “technology hub” in Ingolstadt. However, the software for the SSP vehicles, which was jointly developed by Volkswagen with US electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, must now be adapted to accommodate the 48-volt system.
