- Audi is offering e-tron lessees up to $10,000 off buyouts through Sept. 30, plus $500 per deal to dealers.
- Buyout incentives help automakers limit off-lease EV returns as residual values fall below original lease projections.
- More than 300,000 EVs are expected to come off lease in 2026, with returns projected to double in 2027.
Audi is offering EV lessees up to $10,000 off the purchase price to keep their vehicles at lease end, according to a dealer bulletin reported by CarsDirect. The Audi BEV Lessee Buyout Option Incentive runs nationally through Sept. 30, and dealers can earn a $500 Dealer Facilitation Incentive for each lessee who buys.
The e-tron GT carries the largest discount at $10,000. Q4 e-tron lessees can take $5,000 off, and Q8 e-tron lessees get $4,000. According to CarsDirect, the program has been in place since at least July 2026. Since then, the Q4 e-tron discount has climbed from $3,000 to $5,000.
Buyout offers like this one reduce the number of returned EVs an automaker must resell, Kelley Blue Book noted. The outlet also reported that many EVs have lost value faster than earlier projections. However, as reported by CDK Global, leases written in 2022 and 2023 often assumed residual values near 50%. Current estimates place those values closer to 35% to 40%.
Additionally, CDK Global reported that more than 300,000 EVs are expected to come off lease in 2026. That’s up from 123,000 units projected for 2025. Returns are projected to double to 600,000 in 2027, according to a Deloitte report. Most were leased in 2022 and 2023, when leased EVs qualified for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. EV lease penetration climbed from about 15% in 2022 to 67% by March 2025, CDK found.
Audi’s U.S. sales fell 16% in 2025 and another 17% in the first half of 2026, as CBT News previously reported. Executives pointed to tariffs and the expiration of federal EV incentives as major challenges. Audi’s market share has stabilized but still needs to recover, Premier Companies President Joe Laham said on CBT Live.
The offer helps drivers save on an EV now that the federal tax credit is gone, CarsDirect noted. Current lessees already know their vehicles, so buying one requires no adjustment period, the outlet added. Kelley Blue Book suggested e-tron drivers compare the discounted buyout price against the vehicle’s current market value and comparable alternatives.
