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As we drive toward a future of electric cars, performance becomes a key focus on everyone’s mind. How can we improve electrified vehicles? How do we make our cars go further? How do we make the batteries last longer? Continuing our House of Progress, four expert panelists met in Montreal for the Canadian panel to discuss how we can shape a sustainable world without compromising performance. From their deliberation, one thing was certain, teamwork is the key that drives innovation and performance forward.

Audi indicated this week it intends to phase out production of internal combustion engines by 2033, and that it will only launch new EV models starting 2026, representing an acceleration of Volkswagen AG’s electrification plans. The goals were revealed this week by Audi CEO Markus Duesmann.

The bold plan, part of Audi’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, states that production of the last newly developed internal combustion engine model will begin relatively soon, in just four years, with the Ingolstadt-based automaker transitioning to an an all-EV lineup.

The new Audi RS Q e-tron will contest its first Dakar Rally from January 1 to 14, 2022. For Audi as the inventor of quattro, TFSI, ultra, e-tron and many other future technologies in motorsport, this marks the beginning of a new era in cross-country rallying. “The Dakar Rally is the biggest conceivable challenge for our innovative electric drive with high-voltage battery and high-efficiency energy converter,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi.