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Audi plans three electric vehicles by 2020

Audi reiterated its focus on electrification Wednesday and said it is planning three new battery-powered electric vehicles by 2020. The announcement, made at Audi's annual corporate press conference in Ingolstadt, Germany, also confirmed more electric models will follow after 2020. Audi, which is clearly making electrification one of its core strategies, has trained more than 6,000 workers in high-voltage technology and is working on quick-charging public infrastructure. While Audi did not specify the new models, it is expected to expand use the E-tron name as a sub-brand throughout its portfolio, with a new sport utility vehicle the first to arrive. Audi showed a Q8 plug-in hybrid concept in January at the Detroit Auto Show (above) and an E-Tron Quattro concept styled like a future Q6 at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Conversely, Audi said last year it would kill off the R8 E-tron supercar in a move that allows it to focus on SUVs, which offer broader sales potential. The electrification strategy is part of Audi's role as the technology lead within the Volkswagen Group, which also highlights autonomous driving. Audi has a subsidiary that's developing solutions for cities, including a robot taxi service that could be used across the VW portfolio. Meanwhile, Audi said it took a $1.9 billion charge as a result of the VW Group diesel-emission and Takata airbag scandals and turned an operating profit of $3.3 billion as part of its Wednesday announcement. The company also reiterated its product cadence, and the next-generation A7 is due in 2018 along with the Q8. A new Q4 model will join the portfolio in 2019. Related Video:

BMW expects China to pass US as its top market in 2013

When you combine two billion citizens, 100 cities with more than a million inhabitants and an economy that's as unrestrained as Jim Cramer on an Adderall binge, China's explosive auto industry growth shouldn't be a huge surprise. Audi already lists the communist country as its largest market, while Mercedes-Benz is expecting it to be there in the next few years. Now, according to a report from Automotive News, BMW is expecting the People's Republic to overtake the United States in sales by the end of 2013.
We already discovered the extent that BMW is going to in establishing a dedicated Chinese stronghold, when we explored BMW's Shanghai-based DesignWorks studio ahead of April's Shanghai Motor Show. And while we argued that DesignWorks Shanghai hasn't really borne fruit, it isn't due to a lack of sales.
BMW China has seen a 16-percent jump in year-over-year sales, lead by a 28-percent gain in 5 Series sales. Part of BMW's growth strategy comes from an ever-expanding dealership network. Remember those 100 cities we mentioned with over one million people? According to Karsten Engel, CEO of BMW's Chinese operations, those 100-million-plus city dwellers don't have access to a premium dealership.

VW brands excluded from Wards 10 Best Engines for 2016

You definitely won't be seeing a powerplant from Volkswagen or Audi on the 2016 Ward's 10 Best Engines list. In a serious rebuke against them, WardsAuto is excluding all VW/Audi powertrains for at least this year after the German automakers' ongoing emissions regulations evasions. There's no guarantee of the companies returning for 2017, either. In a story on its website, WardsAuto executive editor Tom Murphy writes that the ban lasts "until we are convinced the culture of deceit has been purged, fines have been paid and regulators are satisfied." That could be a while, the way things are looking. The exclusion knocks three powertrains out of the running for this year's list. As a winner last year, WardsAuto would usually test VW's 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder again for 2016. Plus, it planned to check out the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Audi A6 and the plug-in hybrid from the A3 Sportback E-Tron. In the story, Murphy finds VW's actions particularly despicable because of what they could be doing to the popularity of diesel passenger cars in this country. "BMW, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler also sell light-duty diesel engines in the US, but their sales outlook suddenly has grown murky, thanks to VW's shenanigans," he writes. So far, Jaguar Land Rover is remaining confident of US consumers continuing to buy diesel models, though. We'll be able to see the real effects of VW and Audi's ban in a few months because the 2016 Ward's 10 Best Engines will be published December 10. With two major automakers out of the running, their rivals will likely greet this as a better chance to make the grade.