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Inauguration of first local Audi gear works in Tianjin. 2017 Market launch of Audi Q7 e-tron (import). Launch of Audi on demand+ in Beijing. 2018 Receipt of two test licenses for highly automated driving (Level 4) in Wuxi and Beijing. Launch of locally manufactured Audi Q2 L. Launch of Audi Q5 with extended wheelbase. World premiere of Audi Q8 in Shenzhen. Inauguration of Q-Factory in Changchun. 2019 World premiere of Audi AI:ME concept at Auto Shanghai. World premiere of China-specific generation of Audi connect. Launch of Audi e-tron (imported). Launch of locally manufactured new Audi Q3. Launch of locally manufactured new Audi A6 L. Launch of locally manufactured Audi Q2 L e-tron. 2020 Delivery of six millionth Audi in China. Start of local production of Audi e-tron. Annual sales exceed 700,000 vehicles for first time. Foundation of Audi FAW NEV Company Ltd. 2021 Launch of two-partner strategy with new partner SAIC and complementary model portfolio to the cooperation with FAW and existing model portfolio. Delivery of seven millionth Audi in China. Opening of first Audi Urban Showroom with partner SAIC. Start of production of Audi A7 L and Audi Q5 Roadjet e-tron at SAIC location in Anting (Shanghai). Start of production of Audi Q4 e-tron with FAW in Foshan. Demonstration of development testing of Level 4 automated driving on public roads using 5G technology in Wuxi. 2022 Groundbreaking ceremony for new production site in Changchun. With construction set to finish by the end of 2024, this will be the first automotive plant in China where only all-electric Audi models roll off the line. Relocation of Audi China development team to new development center, the Audi China Building. Market launch of electric models Q5 Roadjet e-tron, Q4 e-tron, and RS e-tron GT.

Audi is already offering such services in certain regions with its Audi on demand rent and Audi on demand subscribe solutions and showing how Mobility as a Service (MaaS) works in practice. The special thing about this is that Audi on demand rent allows customers to find the perfect Audi for every occasion. They can choose the vehicle model, the interior equipment and the color to suit their needs. Audi on demand rent and Audi on demand subscribe complement the classic leasing of vehicles by offering more flexible alternatives. With Audi on demand rent (available in Germany, rollout planned in other markets) customers can find the right Audi for a short-term rental of between one and 28 days. Audi on demand subscribe (available in Germany and France, rollout planned in other markets) offers customers the option to drive an Audi on a subscription basis and experience mobility without a long-term commitment: subscriptions for selected electric vehicles are available for three, six or 12 months. The monthly subscription rates include the car ownership costs, such as insurance, maintenance and wear. Both services are offered in cooperation with the rental company Euromobil GmbH in collaboration with Europcar Mobility Group. Europcar is one of the leading car rental firms with a worldwide fleet of around 256,000 vehicles and is closely linked to the Volkswagen Group. The company is also pivotal in the establishment of a new mobility platform in the Volkswagen Group. This new platform aims to cover a range of different mobility needs, from hourly rental offers through to multi-year leases. The Group is therefore unlocking a rapidly expanding source of income with an expected global market volume of roughly EUR 100 billion in 2030. The Audi vehicles play an integral role in gaining market share in the premium segment.

These findings encourage us to continue our investment in the future: in self-driving cars such as the Audi Aicon, services like Audi on demand, or networked technology such as Audi traffic-light information,” says Melanie Goldmann, head of Trend Communication at Audi. The study also examines more extreme scenarios. For example, what happens if there is a sharp increase in the number of people who use public transportation, walk, or travel by bike? What is the effect of high levels of delivery traffic as a result of online shopping? And what happens if cities do not permit self-driving cars or are slow or reluctant to digitalize their infrastructure? The results range from shorter journey times in commuter traffic (-40%) to gridlock. “The effects of connected and automated vehicles and of other technical and societal developments are continuously studied in the transportation research community. In most cases, the studies focus on single aspects of these developments in order to better identify the isolated effect of exactly that aspect alone. Our objective was different: We wanted to draw a picture of what mobility will look like when all these effects come together,” says Professor Peter Vortisch, head of the Institute for Transport at the KIT. In the traffic model for Ingolstadt, the researchers investigated only one parameter in isolation, without taking account of changes in user behavior or increased demand: how many self-driving cars would be needed today to make the traffic flow noticeably better? At least 40 percent! Computers maintain the necessary distance to other vehicles, do not drive too fast, and obey all traffic signals. However, according to several academic studies, in a mixed traffic situation this has a disadvantage for traffic flow. Journey times are noticeably cut only with an increasing number of autonomous cars: if the roads in Ingolstadt today were used only by autonomous vehicles, travel times would fall by one quarter.

Emissions-free driving in the great outdoors Four electric motors and a quattro drive Aicon and friends: Audi bringing all four visionary vehicles to the IAA Audi is completing its quartet of visionary vehicles and will be at IAA 2019 to showcase an electric off-roader for the future of road transport: the Audi AI:TRAIL quattro, a comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track. All four visionary use case vehicles—the Audi Aicon, AI:ME, AI:RACE and AI:TRAIL will be on show together at Audi’s stand in Hall 3 throughout the whole of IAA 2019. The four-seater Audi AI:TRAIL quattro combines the capacity for automated driving with superb off-road capabilities. The glass surrounding the cabin extends all the way to ground level, providing unrivaled all-round visibility. The ample battery capacity ensures sufficient range even away from dense networks of charging stations. The “Trail” part of the name evokes the idea of exploring nature. That is why there are no big screens on board for streaming TV series or videoconferencing; instead, broad glass surfaces provide a clear view of the surroundings. This is how Marc Lichte, Audi’s Head of Design, describes the use case: “With the AI:TRAIL, we are showing an off-road concept with an emissions-free electric drive for an innovative driving experience away from paved roads. Consistent with this, we designed a monolithic basic vehicle body with maximum glazing to create an intense connection to the surroundings. A concept for sustainable mobility on demand.” Audi’s visionary vehicles The Audi AI:TRAIL quattro is the fourth entrant in the series of concept cars with electric drive systems, which began with the presentation of the Audi Aicon at the 2017 iteration of the IAA. Following this luxury-class vehicle very much intended for highly automated long-distance driving, an emissions-free monoposto designed for the race track, the Audi PB18 e-tron, made its debut in Pebble Beach in 2018.

Another e-commerce project has meanwhile been launched in Germany: On a new, Group-wide platform, customers will be able to buy new cars around the clock directly from Audi dealer stock. An initial pilot project with one Audi partner is now underway, with additional dealerships to follow successively over the course of the year. “The aim is to offer a complete digital solution that is contactless and available 24/7, and that conveniently covers every step of the car purchasing process from any location: from the purchase using various payment options to registration and personal delivery to the desired location by our Audi partners,” said Martin Wallenborn, Head of Business Development Market Germany at AUDI AG. With respect to financing, the Audi pilot project is first starting with cash purchases. For the medium term, the company is focusing on an end-to-end digital solution for financing and leasing through Audi Bank. The online shop can now be accessed at https://kaufen.audi.de. This solution will also be rolled out successively in other markets worldwide. Audi already started online sales of used cars in Germany in autumn 2017. Around 130 Audi partners offer an average of 4,000 used Audi models online here. This sales channel will be moved to the new online platform by the end of the year. The premium mobility service Audi on demand has also been available completely digitally since last year: Customers in Germany can book their dream Audi online for a period of between one and 28 days at www.audiondemand.de. The digital reservation and purchasing solutions also feature various tools for online service and consultation. With Audi Live Consultation, for example, Audi is further expanding its digital sales business, offering dealers and customers a contactless alternative to visits to a dealership.

For Audi Sport’s business with high-performance models, the company plans a significant increase in sales volumes and earnings. “A prerequisite for the success of our strategic realignment is that we position Audi in a structurally efficient manner and lead it back to financial top performance. Already in 2018, we established a clearly defined program for this in the form of the Audi Transformation Plan,” says Alexander Seitz, Member of the Board of Management for Finance, China and Legal Affairs. “Recent months have shown that our measures are taking effect and that we can at least partially offset the current extraordinarily high adverse factors. We will build on this in a highly disciplined manner, because our environment and future course will continue to challenge us enormously.” Following the successful launch of the Transformation Plan, Audi has increased the program’s target to a total of €15 billion between 2018 and 2022. In recent months, the Audi Board of Management has initiated the company’s organizational enhancement; the transformation process has begun in all divisions. The aim is to streamline structures and processes, align them to key areas and increase the speed of implementation. The Integrity, Compliance, Risk Management department now reports directly to the Chairman of the Board of Management. With the establishment of an international customer advisory committee, intended to be closely involved in the product development process, Audi is strengthening its focus on customer-relevant offerings throughout the entire company. Audi will increasingly accelerate innovations with high customer relevance through strategically attractive partnerships. The Four Rings plan to significantly expand the “Audi on demand” flexible premium mobility service in a far-reaching cooperation with mobility service provider SIXT.

Users can take selfies on board and share them in social networks. They can access the entire Internet for the purposes of entertainment, research, and service. Users can order food on the way and make a quick, automated stop at a restaurant to have it delivered to the car, and then enjoy their meal in the vehicle on their way home. The connection between the user’s home network and the Audi AI:ME even allows users to continue watching a movie using the VR goggles in the car, picking up where they left off at home. On their way home from work, they can close their eyes, enjoy the silence on board, and relax. The Audi AI:ME becomes a fixed point in its user’s personal digital biotope. The tedious daily journey from A to B turns into an enjoyable ride with free time. After they have arrived at their destination, the users can get out of the car, relaxed and in good spirits, and do not even have to look for a parking spot or charging station. The Audi AI:ME will find its own way back to the depot. “Audi on demand” is available in metropolises on several continents and is already the perfect example of the future expansion of Audi’s offer into a global mobility service provider. With the simultaneous expansion and specialization of the vehicle fleet, this program will become even more attractive to customers with high demands in the future. The premium vehicle offer itself and the digital integration of the automobile and living environment will give the Audi brand a head start in this segment, too: Vorsprung durch Technik.