By Christina Amann
BERLIN (Reuters) -Volkswagen’s Audi may goal long-term annual gross sales of a minimum of 2 million automobiles, up a fifth from 2024, below a brand new technique the premium model is predicted to launch later this yr, in accordance with an individual near the matter.
The potential goal, beforehand unreported, could be an annual file for the German luxurious carmaker and factors in the direction of a extra aggressive method after some powerful years which have seen its gross sales slip.
Audi has been a headache for guardian Volkswagen, affected by mannequin launch delays and technological setbacks which have widened a niche with rivals, challenges which might be being compounded by U.S. automobile tariffs that pressured the corporate to chop its outlook.
Beneath CEO Gernot Doellner, who took the helm in 2023, Audi is presently revamping its technique and will embrace the long-term gross sales goal when it briefs the general public about its new plans later within the yr.
The particular person didn’t tie the two million car goal to a particular yr.
For 2025, Audi is concentrating on car gross sales of 1.7-1.8 million, following a 11.8% decline to 1.67 million final yr.
The upbeat long-term outlook partly rests on higher expectations for america – the world’s second-largest auto market after China – the place Audi may practically double gross sales from the roughly 200,000 automobiles offered yearly within the U.S. now, the particular person mentioned.
Audi declined to remark.
Audi is trailing rivals within the U.S. auto market, which in contrast to Europe is rising, and is betting that the model may catch up although painful import tariffs of 27.5% have value it 600 million euros ($702 million) within the first half alone.
Like Porsche AG, Audi has no U.S. manufacturing web site however the division has for some time thought of setting one up, with a choice anticipated this yr.
Doellner beforehand mentioned that any plant in america may additionally function an export hub, much like large native manufacturing websites operated by rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Each an Audi-specific manufacturing unit in addition to producing inside Volkswagen’s current footprint are a part of the strategic concerns.
Final week, Brussels began the legislative course of to decrease tariffs on U.S. items, a precondition for Washington to retroactively minimize EU auto import tariffs to fifteen% from August 1, one thing it has not achieved but.
($1 = 0.8542 euros)
(Reporting by Christina Amann; Enhancing by Christoph Steitz, Sabine Wollrab and Susan Fenton)