Hyperdrive

Audi’s  Electric Ambitions Just Killed the TT and May Cull the R8

  • Carmaker is shedding ‘old baggage’ to help free up funds
  • TT sports car to go electric, A8 sedan may follow, Audi says

An Audi AG TT RS coupe stands on display at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Volkswagen AG’s Audi will cease making the iconic TT coupe and replace it with a battery-powered model as the luxury brand accelerates an electric shift that may also see the next version of its flagship A8 sedan go emission-free.

Audi is also mulling an end to the $170,000 R8 sports car as Volkswagen’s biggest profit generator focuses resources on the rollout of 20 fully-electric cars by 2025. Sales of electrified vehicles, which include hybrids, are set to account for 40% of deliveries by then, Audi said Thursday at its annual shareholders meeting in Neckarsulm, Germany.