Profile of location
Audi México is the Audi Group's newest plant. It is equipped with the latest advances in manufacturing processes and is committed to ecological, social, and economic sustainability. The 460-hectare Audi plant in Mexico is located in San José Chiapa, 60 kilometers from Puebla. It plays an important role in the internationalization of the brand as part of the Volkswagen Group's network of production plants. On May 4, 2013, the first stone was laid to mark the start of construction in the municipality of San José Chiapa. During construction from 2013 to 2016, supplier development and employee training were carried out. On October 21, 2014, the 20,000-square-meter Audi Training Center was opened in the immediate vicinity of the plant. On September 30, 2016, the inauguration of the Audi México plant took place. When production commenced, the Audi Q5 became the first premium car made in Mexico. It is exported to Europe, the USA, and Canada. In 2019, six years after the plant's groundbreaking, Audi México announced the production of the Q5 TFSI e, the first premium hybrid produced in the country. With the introduction of this variant into Audi México's product portfolio, the plant in San José Chiapa contributes to Audi's electrification strategy. In 2023, on the 10th anniversary of the plant's groundbreaking, it reached the milestone of the first million cars produced in Mexico. Last year, Audi México manufactured 175,626 Audi Q5. High-tech at an altitude of 2,400 meters The press shop in San José Chiapa is one of the most modern on the continent and in the world. This is where the parts for assembling the bodywork are manufactured. The body shop is a benchmark for robotics. There, over 800 state-of-the-art robots work on the construction of the car. The painting process is a particular challenge. Because air pressure is significantly lower at an altitude of 2,400 meters, significantly larger and more powerful engines must be used.
Audi Production Lab: The link between an idea and high-volume production
About 30 employees research and test whether technologies that are not yet used in production processes have the potential for mass production Software and cloud-based solutions will define automation in the future Proximity to production enables direct exchange with users
Audi uses its Production Lab, or P-Lab for short, to identify new and innovative technologies and reliably integrate them into production sequences. In Gaimersheim, just a few minutes drive from the Ingolstadt plant, experts under P-Lab director Henning Löser test the suitability of trailblazing new solutions for series production. That means finding and testing innovations that reliably help optimize efficiency, ergonomics, flexibility, and quality in Audi plants.
When sharp minds work together, a comfortable couch isn’t always necessary. Certainly not in Audi’s Production Lab. Anyone who enters the hall in Gaimersheim feels like they are in a combination of a shop floor and an IT lab. In one corner are the 5G antennas. Diagonally across from them, an industrial robot is sitting on its base. Behind that are the server cabinets. IT experts sit at desks looking at their computers. “We take an idea that worked once under lab conditions and get it off the ground so it can go into stable 24/7 operation,” Löser explains. “We don’t need a big sofa or a football table for that.” For Löser, a real production environment is much more important. In the past, new technologies were inadequately assessed because Audi couldn’t try them out first. To change that, the company with the four rings created the Production Lab in 2012. Since then, Henning Löser's team has tested intelligent assistance systems that employees support with new variants in the mesh between the person and the machine. These systems conserve resources and continuously develop and improve procedural safety and workplace ergonomics.
Smart Production: How Audi Is Designing the Production of the Future
Along with the powerwall visualization, Audi is increasingly using head-mounted displays. The major advantage of that method is that it allows experts to experience virtual models from the customer’s perspective. Because this special virtual reality system can run on standard hardware and software, it can be installed quickly and flexibly. Many people can use it, and it can easily be recreated at other locations around the world. This technology is also used in tolerance management. That way, Audi ensures it can build a particular model to spec from both a constructive and a qualitative perspective. With 3D simulations of the body, the effects of component and assembly tolerances can be foreseen in the vehicle's image. The simulation results are then realistically visualized using virtual reality. That way, the experts from Audi Production can influence the design and development process regardless of time and place at almost no additional cost and, for the first time, from the production facilities. What are the essential benefits of virtual assembly planning in smart production? Virtual assembly planning not only saves material resources but also makes innovative, flexible collaboration possible across different locations. It eliminates the need to build prototypes in the planning process. A scanning process generates three-dimensional point clouds that can be used to virtually reverse engineer machines and infrastructure. The software is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. It makes it possible for employees at Audi to navigate through assembly lines virtually. Volkswagen’s Industrial Cloud gives them an efficient tool that allows them, for example, to compare locations and use appropriate solutions from other production lines in their planning. Right now, Audi is working with NavVis to test Spot the robot dog so they can do the 3D scans as efficiently as possible.
TechDay Charging Experience
Range, charging performance, and in-car display are among the decisive factors in fulfilling this basic need.
The Audi TechDay Charging Experience will show how we give our customers an integrated experience through technical expertise, a sophisticated battery concept, and a reliable remaining range display. It begins in our battery testing center in Gaimersheim and our know-how in the design, development, and control of battery cells. To give customers a taste of premium charging, the Audi charging hub in Nuremberg will demonstrate that the future belongs to reservable high-power charging in urban spaces. For that reason, we are planning additional sites. Finally, customers will experience first-hand through the remaining range display in our e-tron models that reliability is our top priority and an intelligent algorithm makes all the difference.
You can find all information and press materials here.
An ideal basis for planning: Range display in Audi electric cars gives a reliable picture Whether you’re driving around the corner, commuting to work, or going on vacation: When you’re on the road in an electric car, reliable range indications form the basis for planning all your mobility needs. Statutory test cycles as the basis for range indication can only serve as a general guide for planning since, in practice, range is impacted by numerous parameters. In addition to external factors such as congestion, route topography, or outside temperatures, driver-specific influences including individual driving style or the use of comfort features also play an important role. The remaining range display in the all-electric e-tron models from Audi passes this test in flying colors by factoring in all relevant parameters and providing a realistic picture. On top of that, the route planner ensures that any necessary charging stops on the trip are ideally planned into the route.
Audi Sustainability Report 2019
Circular economy Em issions and energy m anagem ent in the factory S u stain ab ility stan d ard s in th e su p p ly ch ain Less is more Environ men t (C O₂ne utr al pr od uc tio n/ pl an ts ) Com parison of content w ith GRI standards Co mp ari so n o f c on te nt w ith G RI st an da rd s Viable value creation Not just a single closed circle, but several along the entire automotive value chain: Experts at Audi analyze and identify the opportunities and risks of a circular economy. Stronger together As a large industrial corporation, Audi is mindful of its responsibility toward society and the environment – and uses its impact to meet this responsibility along the entire value chain. C o m p ar is o n o f co n te n t w it h G R I st an da rd s Comparison of content with GRI standards Com p arison of con ten t w ith G R I stan d ard s Audi carefully analyzes the environmental aspects of its worldwide manufacturing network – with the vision of building its cars in carbon-neutral plants by 2025. The most important key figures in 2019. Con serv atio n o f re sou rce s/c irc ul ar ec on om y (u se o f s ec on da ry m at er ia l) Integrated and well thought out Thinking consistently from start to finish: The life cycle assessment of a vehicle shows where its environmental footprint arises. The most important facts about the complex analyses. Ve hi cle sa fe ty Alter nativ e drive tech nolog ies Transparency forresources and life cycle assessment Environm ent (electrifi catio n o f en sive) Full of power When it comes to drive systems, Audi is pursuing a holistic approach: from e-tron to the expansion of the charging infrastructure, from solutions for the last mile to refueling with green electricity, from hybrids to hydrogen cars. The most important key parameters. Better safe than sorry There is a reason why people feel safe while driving an Audi: It is safe! We owe that in part to the work of the experts at the Audi Accident Research Unit (AARU). A report.
Audi Smart Factory P-Tech Day - Footage
Audi is making its production fit for the future with the smart factory. A method of production in which Audi might no longer build its cars on an assembly line but according to a radically new, disruptive concept is modular assembly. In addition to this major project, Audi is pursuing many other exciting projects for the production of the future – from the application of virtual reality glasses to metal 3D printing.