Audi will now phase out gas engines by the year 2033, CEO Markus Duesmann announced at the Berlin Climate Conference earlier today. Duesmann, who once said that Audi’s combustion engine efforts were “far from dead,” has now taken an approach that will join the company with many other automakers who have set goals to stop producing combustion engine vehicles by a set date.
Duesmann said that “Audi is ready to make its decisive and powerful move into the electric age,” finally accepting the challenge of ditching gas engines for electric ones. Audi, a German company, owned by Volkswagen Auto Group, has sold the e-tron and the Q2L SUV for the powerful Chinese EV market.
Starting in 2026, Audi will only release new models into the global market that are fully electric, giving the company a head start on its “strategic realignment,” donning in a new era of Audi vehicles to the world’s automotive market. This goal will then be followed by the gradual phasing out of ICE production, which will finally halt in 2033. These factors will eventually lead to Audi being a net-zero emissions automaker by 2050 at the latest.
“Through our innovative strength, we offer individuals sustainable and carbon-neutral mobility options,” Duesmann said at the Berlin Climate Conference. However, the CEO took an interesting perspective with the eventual disappearance of gas-powered engines in Audi’s lineup. Instead of banning, he is looking at it as innovation. The world of automobiles is simply moving onto a new powertrain, and not forgetting about the roots of the combustion engine and all that it has done to make Audi one of the world’s leading luxury car brands.
“I don’t believe in the success of bans,” Duesmann said. “I believe in the success of technology and innovation.”
Last July, Automobilwoche sat down for an interview with Duesmann, where he said that the Audi would focus on making cleaner, more efficient, and environmentally friendly engines that could reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions. The Audi frontman said the gas engine was “far from dead,” and that it “will live for a very long time.” Luckily for us, and the Earth, Audi is ditching this mentality, and it will bring in a new era of the company’s vehicles.
Audi still has several steps before the plan is ultimately set into motion. Audi will decide when to stop the combustion engine production based on a date decided by both customers and legislation, according to a press release from the automaker. Audi expects to see demand for ICE vehicles in China beyond 2033, and the company could supply the region with locally manufactured models.
Conjunctively, Audi will expand its all-electric lineup by a considerable margin, introducing the new e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron, and Q4 Sportback e-tron models. Audi is launching more electric cars than combustion engine models this year, and by 2025, it expects to have 20 all-electric models in its lineup.
Audi debuts e-tron GT: 293 mile range, 155 MPH top speed, 590 HP, $99,900 starting price
“With this roadmap, we are creating the clarity necessary to make a decisive and powerful transition to the electric age. We’re sending the signal that Audi is ready,” Duesmann added.
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Tesla’s Sweden standoff draws UAW support as unions widen pressure campaign
In a post shared on social media, the United Auto Workers stated that it stands with IF Metall workers who are striking against Tesla Sweden.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has publicly expressed solidarity with Swedish union IF Metall as its strike against Tesla continues, adding international attention to the extended labor dispute in the European country.
UAW supports IF Metall’s strike
In a post shared on social media, the United Auto Workers stated that it stands with IF Metall workers who are striking against Tesla Sweden. UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith stated that the union fully supports IF Metall’s efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement with the automaker.
“UAW stands with IF Metall workers on strike against Tesla, fighting for a collective bargaining agreement. UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith pledged the UAW’s full support and solidarity,” the UAW International Union stated in its post.
IF Metall launched its strike against Tesla Sweden in late 2023 over the electric car maker’s refusal to sign a collective agreement. The action has since been supported by other unions through sympathy strikes affecting ports, logistics, and service operations.
Tesla Sweden has maintained that it complies with Swedish labor laws and offers competitive pay and benefits, though the company has not publicly commented on the UAW’s latest show of support.
Tesla owners get union attention
Pro-union groups in Sweden have recently expanded their outreach beyond Tesla’s facilities and workforce. Activists have begun distributing informational leaflets against the EV maker directly on Tesla vehicles parked across Stockholm, as per a report from Swedish outlet Dagens Arbete.
The yellow slips, designed to resemble parking notices, urge regular Tesla owners to pressure the company into signing a collective agreement. Organizers involved in the effort have argued that the leaflets are intended to simply inform consumers rather than single out individual owners. When owners are present, however, activists stated that they explain the dispute verbally.
Tesla has not issued a public response regarding the leaflet distribution campaign as of writing.
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Starlink goes mainstream with first-ever SpaceX Super Bowl advertisement
SpaceX used the Super Bowl broadcast to promote Starlink, pitching the service as fast, affordable broadband available across much of the world.
SpaceX aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, marking a rare move into mass-market advertising as it seeks to broaden adoption of its Starlink satellite internet service.
Starlink Super Bowl advertisement
SpaceX used the Super Bowl broadcast to promote Starlink, pitching the service as fast, affordable broadband available across much of the world.
The advertisement highlighted Starlink’s global coverage and emphasized simplified customer onboarding, stating that users can sign up for service in minutes through the company’s website or by phone in the United States.
The campaign comes as SpaceX accelerates Starlink’s commercial expansion. The satellite internet service grew its global user base in 2025 to over 9 million subscribers and entered several dozen additional markets, as per company statements.
Starlink growth and momentum
Starlink has seen notable success in numerous regions across the globe. Brazil, in particular, has become one of Starlink’s largest growth regions, recently surpassing one million users, as per Ookla data. The company has also expanded beyond residential broadband into aviation connectivity and its emerging direct-to-cellular service.
Starlink has recently offered aggressive promotions in select regions, including discounted or free hardware, waived installation fees, and reduced monthly pricing. Some regions even include free Starlink Mini for select subscribers. In parallel, SpaceX has introduced AI-driven tools to streamline customer sign-ups and service selection.
The Super Bowl appearance hints at a notable shift for Starlink, which previously relied largely on organic growth and enterprise contracts. The ad suggests SpaceX is positioning Starlink as a mainstream alternative to traditional broadband providers.
Tesla engineers deflected calls from Apple on a daily basis while the tech giant was developing its now-defunct electric vehicle program, which was known as “Project Titan.”
Back in 2022 and 2023, Apple was developing an EV in a top-secret internal fashion, hoping to launch it by 2028 with a fully autonomous driving suite.
However, Apple bailed on the project in early 2024, as Project Titan abandoned the project in an email to over 2,000 employees. The company had backtracked its expectations for the vehicle on several occasions, initially hoping to launch it with no human driving controls and only with an autonomous driving suite.
Apple canceling its EV has drawn a wide array of reactions across tech
It then planned for a 2028 launch with “limited autonomous driving.” But it seemed to be a bit of a concession at that point; Apple was not prepared to take on industry giants like Tesla.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives noted in a communication to investors that, “The writing was on the wall for Apple with a much different EV landscape forming that would have made this an uphill battle. Most of these Project Titan engineers are now all focused on AI at Apple, which is the right move.”
Apple did all it could to develop a competitive EV that would attract car buyers, including attempting to poach top talent from Tesla.
In a new podcast interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it was revealed that Apple had been calling Tesla engineers nonstop during its development of the now-defunct project. Musk said the engineers “just unplugged their phones.”
Musk said in full:
“They were carpet bombing Tesla with recruiting calls. Engineers just unplugged their phones. Their opening offer without any interview would be double the compensation at Tesla.”
Interestingly, Apple had acquired some ex-Tesla employees for its project, like Senior Director of Engineering Dr. Michael Schwekutsch, who eventually left for Archer Aviation.
Tesla took no legal action against Apple for attempting to poach its employees, as it has with other companies. It came after EV rival Rivian in mid-2020, after stating an “alarming pattern” of poaching employees was noticed.
Tesla’s Sweden standoff draws UAW support as unions widen pressure campaign
Starlink goes mainstream with first-ever SpaceX Super Bowl advertisement
