Recently, Audi said that it has withdrawn its original plan for full electrification in 2033 and decided to suspend its full electrification strategy.
This news is like a heavy hammer hitting the heart of the automobile industry.
Audi’s choice is by no means unique, among the traditional brands, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have also previously seen news of adjusting full electrification, and the Japanese brand Honda also said some time ago that it will significantly reduce the pureElectric vehicleThe investment plan has been reduced from 10 trillion yen by 2030 to 7 trillion yen, a decrease of up to 30%.
On the one hand, the surging wave of electrification in China’s automobile industry, and on the other hand, the strategic “brakes” of the “giants” in sync, the two seem incompatible.
In fact, the “brakes” of the giants are not a simple turn in the technical route, but a “flexible survival technique” related to survival and the future staged in the context of the sharp differentiation of the global market and the profound reshaping of the energy pattern.
Electrified fault zones: the global market is “ice and fire”
The reason why the giants have stepped on the brakes can be seen from Audi’s announcement, in which Audi specifically mentioned that there are obvious differences in the development of the global market.
According to data from the Passenger Car Association, in May 2025, ChinaNew energyPassenger car sales reached 1.201 million units, an increase of 28.2% year-on-year, and the penetration rate was 52.9%. In May 2025, the sales of new energy vehicles in nine European countries will be 226,000 units, with a penetration rate of 27%. Both the overall scale and penetration rate are far inferior to the Chinese auto market.
The development of electrification in other countries is more slow, taking the United States as an example, in May 2025, the United StatesNew energy vehiclessales were 131,100 units, and the market penetration rate was only 8.9%.
In terms of the layout of charging facilities, China is also a global leader in fault style. According to data from the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, in December 2024, the number of electric vehicle charging and swapping infrastructure nationwide was 12.818 million units, a year-on-year increase of 49.1%.
As of the end of 2024, the number of charging points in Europe is only 845,000, while in the United States it is 204,000, which is far inferior to China. In terms of electricity prices, China is also lower than Europe and the United States.
Through the above analysis, it can be seen that the level of electrification in China’s automobile market is a fault lead, which is far from comparable to other countries.
For global car companies, full electrification means abandoning markets where electrification is relatively slow.
On the other hand, among these new energy vehicles, there are also some plug-in hybrid models, so the sales of real pure electric models will only be rarer than imagined.
Even in China, where electrification is the most aggressive, the month-on-month growth rate of pure electric models in the market is far lower than that of plug-in hybrids and extended range. In May 2025, although pure electric models are still the champions of the new energy vehicle market, their month-on-month growth rate is only 7.4%, which is far lower than the 15.3% of plug-in hybrid models and 32.5% of extended-range models.
In the market environment where pure electric is gradually declining and plug-in hybrid range extension is becoming increasingly popular, a large number of car companies that insist on pure electric have begun to switch to plug-in hybrid and range extension routes.
For example, as early as March 2023, Leapmotor completed the switching of extended range routes, adopting the dual route strategy of “pure electric + extended range”.
Avita launched Kunlun range extension technology in August 2024, and the best-selling Avita 07 has a dual-power route version.
Xpeng released the Xpeng Super Kunpeng electric system in November 2024, of which “Kun” represents the range extension plan.
As one of the few car companies that insists on pure electricity, Xiaomi has also exposed a full-range SUV, internally codenamed “Kunlun”.
Zhiji has also determined the route to increase the range and launch an extended range version of the model in the future.
Through the above analysis, the electrification brakes of the giants are easy to understand.
To put it simply, in China, where electrification transformation is the most radical, the supply chain is the most perfect, and the market ecology is the best, few car companies dare to block the future on pure electricity, and more and more players are beginning to adopt a dual-route strategy, not to mention the giants in other markets and regions with slower electrification processes?
Stepping on the brakes on full electrification is obviously the optimal solution for the giants.
The Giant’s Survival Code: Diversification Strategy
First of all, it is stated that suspension is not the same as giving up, these are two completely different concepts.
Whether it is Audi, or Honda and other giants, they have said that pure electric is the future development direction, and in China’s automotive industry, everyone’s general perception is the same.
But again, development takes time, before major breakthroughs in battery technology and charging technology, the market will show a way of pure electric, plug-in hybrid, range extension, and fuel diversification for a long time, until a breakthrough in technology is made.
Therefore, the “brakes” of the giants are not a denial of the future of electrification, but a “flexible survival technique” for the current complex reality, and its core production code lies in the product diversification strategy.
In Europe, the United States, Japan and many emerging markets, fuel vehicles, especially high-end fuel vehicles, are still the most profitable and highly accepted products.
The core source of profit for luxury brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW is still highly dependent on their powerful internal combustion engine models, and the deep accumulation of Japanese brands such as Honda in the hybrid field also gives their fuel vehicle camp strong resilience and efficiency advantages.
Therefore, maintaining the stable operation of the fuel vehicle business is providing a steady stream of “ammunition” for transformation.
Plug-in hybrid and range extension are more like transition bridges for these enterprises. Especially in areas with imperfect charging facilities or severe cold weather, plug-in hybrid and extended-range models that can be oiled and electric can get rid of battery life anxiety, and at the same time, they can also enrich the power routes of car companies and cover more user groups.
Previously, there were media reports that BMW will restart the research and development of the range extension system, while Mercedes-Benz and Audi have also launched plug-in hybrid models before, and Audi has recently launched the Q5 plug-in hybrid version in Europe.
And pure electric is also a route that giants must bet on, especially in the Chinese market, where the wave of electrification is the most turbulent and the most competitive, if companies can grab a certain market share here, then when full electrification comes, it will definitely form a dimensionality reduction blow in the global market.
It can be seen that the giants stepping on the brakes of full electrification is by no means a historical reversal, but a real survival wisdom, that is, the confidence to walk a tightrope between fuel fundamentals and electric potential stocks.
End
At the crossroads of change, stubbornness is just as dangerous as blind obedience.
Sticking to fuel vehicles is sitting still, but ignoring the huge differences in the global market and the real needs of consumers, it is also an unrealistic risk to plunge headlong into a “pure electric utopia”.
The strategic pullback of global giants such as Audi is obviously a pragmatic listen to the pulse of the market.
It also confirms that the automobile market is unpredictable, car companies do not need eternal strategies, only eternal adaptability can find their own course and reach the other side in this multi-faceted war of power routes.
After all, the real leader can not only see the lighthouse in the distance, but also recognize the reef under his feet.
