All electric Audi cars designed for the market of China will lose the company’s iconic logo with four rings, Reuters reports citing its own sources in the industry. Allegedly, the company is using plenty of third-party technology in these cars and doesn’t consider them “genuine Audis”.
All Audi vehicles for the Chinese domestic market are being produced with the assistance from local SAIC Group based on local components, such as CATL batteries and Momenta ADAS. As such, they differ considerably from their counterparts produced for the rest of the world and may be regarded as separate models.
The details are unknown at this point. In particular, it is unclear whether these EVs will just drop the badge but retain the Audi nameplate or go on sale under a different brand altogether. The first concept vehicle co-designed between Audi and its partners in China is scheduled for debut this November.
Interestingly enough, Audi has already reacted to these rumors, denouncing them as “speculations” and promising us that its China-made cars will be “true Audis infused with the brand DNA”. Note how it avoided directly commenting on its EV naming scheme for China.