Audi dealers are set to take a hit on servicing revenues after the manufacturer announced plans to extend intervals to up to 30,000 miles, depending on car usage.

Experience gained from this year's victory at Le Mans encouraged Audi to re-engineer its road-going cars to avoid the service centre for longer.

The scheme, Audi Variable Servicing Interval programme (AVS), assesses the car owner's driving style and monitors the condition of the engine using sensors. It displays a warning when a service is necessary within the instrument binnacle.

A spokesman claimed extended servicing intervals were “the way of the world”, and said dealers of all manufacturers would need to look at other areas of their business for income.

“The Audi network profitability has risen with increasing sales volumes – future profits will come from moving metal, not servicing it,” he said. “Audi is at record sales levels this year, and this will continue. Action like increasing service intervals will attract more people to buy new Audi cars, helping dealers.”

Audi believes the system will allow servicing intervals to potentially rise by between 19,000 (petrol models) and 30,000 miles (diesel engines), up from the conventional 10,000-mile schedule.

Owners would also benefit from increased convenience as the car spends less time off the road, lowering running and whole-life costs.

The spokesman believes the scheme would appeal to fleet operators who, under pressure from falling residual values, are searching for ways to reduce whole-life costs.

  • Audi has developed an oil and water service flap and a bonnet on the A2 which can only be opened by dealership staff at service time.