Worldwide sales drop by 0.7% due to supply problems but electric models achieve 57.5% growth.
Audi sales dropped by 0.7 per cent last year as the German car maker was hindered by semiconductor supply issues, but sales were bolstered by the success of its EVs.
The German manufacturer achieved record-breaking deliveries in the first half of 2021 before suffering a significant 34.2 per cent drop-off, selling a total of 1,680,512 cars by the end of the year.
Audi confirmed that the chip crisis hampered local production in China, while the impacts caused by the reduction in VAT in Europe was “noticeable”.
It also claimed to have its “highest order backlog ever”, with a “high volume of incoming orders”.
“The year 2021 was challenging, but with our worldwide team’s engaged effort, we very successfully overcame them,” said Hildegard Wortmann, Audi’s board member for sales. “We’re looking to the future with confidence.
“High demand for electric vehicles from Audi confirms our early decision in favor of zero-emissions drive systems. We’re taking this momentum with us into 2022 and systematically pressing ahead with our transformation. The large number of incoming orders also shows that we have the right portfolio.”
Despite the drop in worldwide sales, Audi’s EV range showed continued success. Around 4.8 per cent of its total sales were electric, as it sold 81,894 EVs last year.
That figure represents 57.5 per cent growth, with the Q4 E-tron and Q4 E-tron Sportback leading the way in terms of EV sales.
The Q3 achieved the biggest sales growth for a non-electric Audi, at 19.2 per cent. The A7 gained 9.2 per cent, while the A5 grew 8.3 per cent. The Q5 and Q7 also showed that SUV options remain popular, both growing 5.3 per cent.
Jack Warrick