Profile of location

The Audi site in Neckarsulm stands for successful transformation. The ability to change is deeply rooted in its DNA and forms the basis of its long-term success – from its origins as a knitting machine factory to the ultra-modern automobile production of today.

AUDI AG is one of the largest employers in the Heilbronn-Franken economic region. 15,509 people work here for the Mobility of the Future. On floor space of approximately one million square meters, the company produces the A5, A6, A8, and e-tron GT models and all their variants. At the Böllinger Höfe industrial park near Heilbronn six kilometers away, AUDI AG adds approximately 300,000 more square meters to its Neckarsulm footprint. This is where Audi Sport GmbH has its headquarters, and it is also the birthplace of the fully electric Audi e-tron GT.

Thanks to forward-looking investment, the plant has the structures and abilities needed for both small-series and volume production. It is therefore robust and broadly positioned for the production of vehicles with combustion engines, hybrid technologies, and fully electric models.

Competence Center for artificial intelligence and digitalization

From Production and Logistics to IT and Technical Development, Audi is driving forward the use of artificial intelligence in all divisions and is focusing on the Neckarsulm site. As well as decades of experience in automotive manufacturing and the company’s own innovative strength, the proximity to the Heilbronn AI ecosystem is also a decisive factor. Audi is accelerating the transfer of innovations into the company through partnerships with renowned universities, scientific institutions, and start-ups. Audi Initiative plus (AI+) is the umbrella brand for all activities in the Heilbronn ecosystem. Audi has been a member of the Innovation Park for Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) since 2023.

Small-series production at Böllinger Höfe plays a special role in the digitalization of production and logistics. In a real laboratory at the site, a test environment within production, Audi is testing intelligent solutions for the fully networked, smart factory and developing them further for use in large-volume production.

Production and logistics

Audi employees at the Neckarsulm site work continuously to optimize processes and develop innovative IT solutions that advance digitalization and automation in production and logistics.

• Edge Cloud 4 Production: In the shape of the local server solution Edge Cloud 4 Production, Audi is shifting the paradigm in automation and laying the foundation for the future use of artificial intelligence. Centralized control via servers brings more process security and reduces maintenance effort. Following successful integration into assembly at Böllinger Höfe, Edge Cloud is now going into operation at the Neckarsulm plant. In the body shop for the Audi A5 and Audi A6 series, the technology is being used for the first time in highly automated facilities for large-volume production. Going forward, Audi will roll out this innovation to other plants within the group.
• ProcessGuardAIn, the first scalable modular system for AI-controlled production process monitoring, combines expert knowledge with facility and process data for early fault detection and tailor-made problem-solving.
• At the Neckarsulm site, Weld Splatter Detection (WSD) detects weld splatter on the vehicle underbody and marks it with light. An AI-controlled grinding robot takes over the ergonomically challenging task of removing the weld spatter.
• In the Neckarsulm paint shop, Audi is piloting AI-supported dryer control, the first use case from the IPAI partnership. Facility parameters optimized by AI mean that large amounts of energy and costs are saved.

Efficient production is enabled by perfectly coordinated processes in logistics and production. The Audi Supply Chain communicates our customers’ needs to the plants, co-ordinates with approximately 1,000 suppliers, and finally delivers the cars to the customers. In this way, it ensures that vehicle production and market supply are punctual, flexible, and efficient. What it takes is speed, transparency, reliability, and digital factory transformation.

• Smart logistics: A completely new infrastructure consisting of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) is being created in the assembly hall for the new A5 and A6 model families. They have been in operation since summer 2025 and continuously supply the line with parts, such as bumpers and front-end modules, as well as with options from the “supermarket,” where parts such as floor mats or bumpers are brought in the required order. AGVs thus reduce the employees’ workload. They take on strenuous tasks such as transporting heavy parts. The use of automated guided vehicles will be expanded further in 2026. In total, around 200 AGVs are in use at the site.
• Pearl chain principle: An algorithm calculates the best sequence for the assembly line from nearly two trillion possibilities six days in advance, following the pearl chain principle. The algorithm uses information on ordered cars while taking into account the associated workload for the employees in all work areas so they can be utilized most effectively.
• Optimization through data: An interdisciplinary project team from Audi Supply Chain is continuously working on further optimizing the management of the plant. To do this, Audi Supply Chain uses the broadest possible database from the entire value chain. This networked information creates transparency across supply chains and enables precise forecasts – an essential basis for efficient, stable and forward-looking production supply.
• New paint shop: The general overhaul of the paint shop at the Neckarsulm site will be completed in 2026; the paint shop will then be one of the most modern in the automotive industry. Processes have been optimized and particularly environmentally friendly procedures and technologies have been implemented. The new facilities set new standards in the automotive industry and are suitable for vehicles with combustion engines, hybrid technologies, and fully electric models.

Technical Development

Technical Development at Neckarsulm is where cutting-edge drive concepts are created. In addition to efficient combustion engines and hybrid systems, the development of the high-voltage battery portfolio for fully electric vehicles is also a key focus there. This means Technical Development will continue to grow and strengthen in the future.

• New high-end building for Technical Development: The multifunctional Technical Development building will serve as a pilot space and think tank for new, efficient ways of working. Here, Technical Development experts will collaborate under one roof in modern office spaces, workshops, and test stands. In planning the more than 600 workspaces, the focus was on ease of information transfer and communication, as well as on optimal organization of the various divisions within Technical Development.
• Competence Center for high-voltage batteries: Audi is expanding high-voltage battery development and is focusing on the Neckarsulm site. In the battery technology center, employees are testing new high-voltage storage modules for various electric vehicles. The newly established expertise in high-voltage batteries in Neckarsulm also benefits from synergies with the lightweight construction center at the site.
• The right material in the right place in the right amount: The engineers in Audi’s light-construction center develop not only for the Audi brand, but for the entire Group. This requires finding solutions to the requirements of models with alternative drive systems, such as the battery housing for electric models. The goal is to design a car body that is as light and stable as possible while remaining cost-efficient. The body of the future will therefore consist of an intelligent mix of materials. The development of parts now employs simulation models depicting a digital twin of the real cars. This allows us to bring new technologies to mass production using a minimum number of test vehicles.