Sascha Sauer, the head of Audi South Africa, believes local electric vehicle sales are poised for take-off, despite challenges such as high importation taxes and customer concerns about load shedding. In this TechCentral Impact Series interview, Sauer says South Africans have started taking a much keener interest in electric cars, with a wide range of electric vehicles having been introduced into the local market in the recent past – and more to come. Models already available locally from Audi are the e-tron, e-tron Sportback, e-tron S Sportback, e-tron GT Quattro and the RS e-tron GT. In this Impact Series episode, Sauer unpacks Audi’s EV strategy for South Africa, chats about the EVs Audi has introduced to local consumers already, and the German marque’s roll-out plans in the years ahead. He also talks about Audi’s plans to stop manufacturing models with internal combustion engines entirely, and how that will impact Audi buyers in South Africa. The move to electric is a big deal for car buyers, manufacturers and the dealer networks. Sauer unpacks in detail what to expect and the work that Audi South Africa has already done in anticipation of a sharp uptick in EV sales, including rolling out charging infrastructure and ensuring the service network is retooled and ready for their mass arrival. Sauer also busts some of the myths around moving to electric – from the obvious one, load shedding, to concerns about vehicle range, battery lifespan and the availability of charging stations. If you’re interested in the future of motoring in the South African context and are keen to know more about what Audi has in store, don’t miss this fascinating interview.

Broadcast on:

24 Oct 2022