Audi launches a new brand in China without the four-ring logo

Audi is making a large alteration to its branding for the Chinese marketplace with a caller logo that lacks the automaker’s celebrated four-ring emblem. Today successful Shanghai, the institution showed disconnected the caller “AUDI” logo — yes, it’s conscionable Audi successful each caps — connected the beforehand of a caller E conception electrical Sportback that notably lacks its broadly utilized “E-Tron” branding.

In a property release, Audi’s CEO Gernot Döllner said it’s hoping to pat into China’s “more tech-savvy” customers who “expect starring connectivity arsenic good arsenic automated driving.” Reuters reported successful August that Audi was readying a rebrand for China, wherever the automaker sold little than 10,000 vehicles successful the state successful the archetypal fractional of 2024.

Audi says the AUDI E conception represents a preview of 3 upcoming mid- and full-sized models it volition present starting successful mid-2025. Audi formed a concern with Chinese state-owned SAIC Motors and placed its erstwhile electrical models head, Fermín Soneira, arsenic the caller team's CEO. A caller Advanced Digitized Platform was developed done the partnership, featuring an 800-volt architecture that underpins the E concept.

Soneir, who has been with Audi genitor institution Volkswagen for 25 years, says the concern is acceptable up to “jointly signifier development, purchasing, production, and sales.”

VW is struggling successful China arsenic home-grown automakers similar BYD person won implicit consumers with cheaper, much tech-advanced cars. Human rights groups person besides called retired VW that its proviso concatenation whitethorn person been linked to forced labour of the Uygur Muslim colonisation successful Xinjiang.