Turns out people still like gasoline: VW and Audi hit the brakes on EV plans

Just when we thought the automotive world was charging full speed ahead into an all-electric utopia, Volkswagen and Audi have decided to, well… pump the brakes. Faced with declining EV sales and a not-so-enthusiastic customer base, the German brands are reportedly rethinking their all-electric ambitions in Europe. Instead of ditching gas-powered cars by 2033, as previously promised, the two automakers now seem inclined to give their beloved internal combustion engines (ICE) a facelift and keep them around a little longer.

For all the hype around EVs, Volkswagen’s electric car sales actually fell by 2.7% in 2024, while Audi took an even bigger hit, dropping 7.8%. Across the entire Volkswagen Group, demand for zero-emission models declined by 3.4%, suggesting that the road to full electrification is, indeed, a bumpy one. And let’s not forget Porsche—its Taycan deliveries plunged by 49%, proving that even high-end electric performance isn’t immune to consumer hesitation.

Rather than stubbornly sticking to their original EV deadlines, both Volkswagen and Audi are adopting what executives call a “flexible” approach. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has already hinted that the company isn’t in a rush to kill off gas engines. Over at Volkswagen, technical development boss Kai Grünitz isn’t ruling out keeping the current Golf Mk8 in production until the mid-2030s—even as an all-electric Golf Mk9 is expected by decade’s end. Translation? VW might sell both gas and electric Golfs side by side for several years.

The Volkswagen Group’s reluctance to go all-in on EVs isn’t just affecting VW and Audi. Several of its high-end brands are also quietly stepping away from aggressive electrification goals:

• Porsche originally planned to develop some models as EVs but is now reconsidering putting gas engines in future models instead.

• Bentley has delayed its first EV by a year and pushed back its all-electric target from 2030 to 2035.

• Lamborghini is also taking its time, delaying its first EV, the Lanzador, until 2029 instead of 2028. Meanwhile, its gas-powered Revuelto (V12) and Temerario (V8) will keep roaring into the early 2030s.

• Bugatti Rimac, which was supposed to replace the W-16 Chiron hypercar with an EV, has now decided to postpone its first electric model until after 2030.

It’s worth noting that Europe’s 2035 combustion engine “ban” isn’t a total death sentence for gas-powered cars. The rule requires zero harmful emissions, which means engines powered by synthetic fuels or hydrogen could still survive. However, neither of these technologies is anywhere close to replacing traditional gasoline at scale.

With EV market share in Europe dropping to 13.6% in 2024 (down 1% from the previous year), it’s clear that not all consumers are ready to make the switch. If demand doesn’t pick up soon, car companies may lobby for further delays to the EU’s combustion engine phase-out, keeping gas-powered cars alive even longer than expected.

Volkswagen and Audi’s decision to double down on gas engines is a wake-up call for the industry. While governments and automakers have been aggressively pushing for an all-electric future, consumers aren’t necessarily on board yet. Instead of blindly following a set timeline, VW Group seems to be reading the room—and the room is saying, “We’re not quite ready to give up gas just yet.”

So, for now, petrolheads can breathe a sigh of relief—your beloved combustion engines aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.