Audi has pushed back the launch of its electric A4 to 2029, as continued delays to the Volkswagen Group's Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) take their toll on the brand's EV ambitions. The saloon, pitched as a rival to the electric BMW i3, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Tesla Model 3, had been due to begin production at Audi's Ingolstadt plant in Germany in 2028 as one of the first SSP-based models. Autocar understands that timeline has now slipped by at least a further year, leaving Audi without an entry in a mid-size electric executive segment that BMW and Mercedes are already contesting with their own new EVs.
The setback leaves a notable hole in Audi's line-up. The combustion A4 — now badged A5 in its current form — has long been one of the brand's biggest sellers, and its electric successor was expected to carry similar weight.
It's also the latest blow for SSP, coming soon after Volkswagen confirmed that the electric Mk9 Golf built on the same architecture had been delayed because of cost pressures. SSP was unveiled in 2021 as an 800-volt platform intended to eventually replace the MEB, PPE, MQB, MLB and MSB architectures used across the group, with more than 40 million vehicles ultimately expected to use it. VW described it as "all-electric, fully digital and highly scalable." Production was originally slated to start in 2026; it has now slipped by at least three years. Volkswagen itself is due to be first to use SSP, building an electric T-Roc and a related electric Golf at Wolfsburg, with combined annual volumes cited by works council chair Daniela Cavallo at more than 500,000 units. Skoda's Enyaq successor, built at Mladá Boleslav, is also SSP-based and now lands in the same window as the delayed Audi.
Much of the delay stems from software troubles at Cariad, VW's in-house software division, which was meant to deliver a unified operating system in 2025. Those plans have been overhauled, with VW now leaning on US firm Rivian for electronic architecture and software for markets outside China, while considering exporting its China-market CEA system elsewhere.
But Audi's issues go beyond software. The brand reportedly demanded extensive changes to its version of SSP to preserve the A4's expected packaging and seating position, including individual footwells front and rear rather than a flat EV floor — requiring a rethink of battery and high-voltage component placement. An Audi insider said this adds complexity just as VW tries to cut shared components across brands. Audi has also specified a 48-volt electrical system instead of the originally planned 12-volt setup, offering more capacity for computing power but demanding extra engineering and further changes to the Rivian-developed architecture.
Source: Autocar
Before this, we covered: Audi RS 3 Competition Limited 2026 UK - pictures
