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Plant Manager Audi Ingolstadt site Siegfried Schmidtner was born in Ingolstadt in 1971. After obtaining his high-school diploma, he studied Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich, specializing in Construction and Development. He then completed a doctorate in Product Design and Process Chain Planning at Chemnitz University of Technology. In 1998, he joined Audi in Engine and Chassis Planning. As Head of Production Planning for six and eight-cylinder engines, Schmidtner spent two years in charge of all V6 and V8 engine projects at the Hungarian site in Győr. In 2006, Schmidtner became Head of the Audi A3 Ramp-Up and Analysis Center in Ingolstadt. Three years later, he moved to Vehicle Production Ingolstadt, heading up production of the Audi A3, the Audi TT and subsequently the Audi Q2. Among other things, he was responsible for the initial ramp-up of the Q2 and the ramp-up of the third generation of the Audi A3. As Project manager, he assumed responsibility in 2017 for the planning and control of all production activities for vehicle and platform projects for the Electric premium platform and the B series, i.e. the Audi A4, Audi A5, and Audi Q5, including the plug-in hybrids, in the Production division. From November 2018, Siegfried Schmidtner was responsible for the central functions of production at AUDI AG, with a focus on production strategy, digitalization and transformation in the Production division. Among other things, the current matrix-oriented structure was created there. In October 2019, Schmidtner took over management of the newly created Product Engineering department, at the intersection between the Production and Technical Development divisions. There, he was responsible for the virtual and physical assurance of product maturity and technical feasibility, worldwide production ramp-ups and the construction of all of the Audi brand’s prototypes and pre-series vehicles.

Plant Manager at Audi Neckarsulm The graduate engineer Fred Schulze was born on 24 February 1967 in Gardelegen (Saxony-Anhalt). He is married and has a son. Fred Schulze studied Production Technology at the University of Magdeburg, followed by Welding Engineering. He has worked in the Volkswagen Group for almost 30 years, having begun his professional career in 1993 at AUDI AG in Neckarsulm. In April 1994, he became head of Quality Assurance for the Body Shop of the A8. After this, he worked for MAN for two years and returned to Neckarsulm in 1998 as head of the Body Shop. In 2004, he moved to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, where he was responsible for, among other things, the Body Shop for the Volkswagen Bus and the Porsche Panamera, before switching to the Volkswagen plant at Emden in 2010 as Production Manager. From 2012 to 2015 Schulze occupied the position of Plant Manager at the Neckarsulm site for the first time, and then moved to be Production Manager at Ingolstadt until mid-2016. From 2016 to 2018, he was responsible for the Q models of the Four Rings brand as Model Series Manager. In 2018, he moved to China, where he was Executive Vice President for Production and Product Management at SAIC Volkswagen in Shanghai – a joint venture between China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp and Volkswagen AG. On May 1, 2021, Fred Schulze returned to his role as Plant Manager at the Audi site in Neckarsulm, and since September 1, 2024, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG.

Audi Q7 SUV TFSI e quattro The Audi Q7 55 TFSI e quattro and the Q7 60 TFSI e quattro are the plug-in hybrid versions (PHEV) in the model range. A compact electric motor supports the 3.0 TFSI engine. The new liquid-cooled lithium battery in the rear can now store 22 kWh net (25.9 kWh gross) of energy. This results in electric ranges of up to 90 km according to WLTP EAER city or up to 85 km WLTP EAER combined. New options include all-wheel steering and electromechanical active roll stabilization (eAWS) for a dynamic driving experience.

Member of the Board of Management at AUDI AG Human Resources Xavier Ros was born in Barcelona in 1971. He studied mechanical engineering at the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering. The native of Spain started his professional career in Audi’s Production and Logistics division in Ingolstadt in 1994. Three years later, he took over project management activities on the Audi A8 product line. In 1999, Xavier Ros transferred to SEAT’s Technical Development division to advance the third-generation SEAT Ibiza in the Development Management department. In 2002, Xavier Ros was appointed Secretary General of SEAT. Five years later, he took over the role of Human Resources Strategy and Development Manager. Starting in 2011, Ros was appointed SEAT’s Personnel Director. From 2013 to 2015, Xavier Ros worked at VW Autoeuropa in Portugal, where he managed the Human Resources department as a member of its Executive Committee. He returned to Martorell as SEAT’s Executive Vice President for Human Resources and Organization in September 2015. Since May 20, 2022, Xavier Ros has been Labor Relations Director and Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Human Resources.

1972: Audi 80 is launched and becomes “Car of the Year” Bestseller in series production: More than 12.5 million B1 to B9 (Audi 80 and Audi A4 models) produced to date Oliver Hoffmann, Head of Technical Development: “The Audi 80 shows that Vorsprung durch Technik is a tradition at Audi” It establishes the B series, is both a pioneer of innovative technology and a trendsetter, and becomes the first million-seller for the brand with the four rings: the Audi 80. The significance of the compact sedan for Audi and the Volkswagen Group is indisputable – not least because the Audi 80 pioneers the modular design. A bestseller is celebrating its anniversary: With the first Audi 80, known internally as the “B1”, the Ingolstadt-based company hits the bull’s eye in 1972. It is intended to be “modern, but not trendy,” a reliable family car. On this, then Head of Technical Development at Audi Ludwig Kraus and Volkswagen AG, the new parent company, agree in the late 1960s. As in racecar construction, head developer Ludwig Kraus has his employees check every part to see where weight could still be reduced without compromising on long-term quality, solidity, and strength. The extremely lightweight Audi 80, which goes into production 50 years ago, impresses customers with its sporty handling and low consumption, making it, at the start of the 1973 oil crisis, exactly the right car at the right time. Winning “Car of the Year” the same year, the Audi 80 also wins over the international trade press. Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, still appreciates the achievement of his predecessor Ludwig Kraus and team: “In an impressive way, the Audi 80 demonstrates that Vorsprung durch Technik is a tradition at Audi.” The Audi 80 and its successor models have always been pioneers of major innovation.

CEO of Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project Fermín Soneira was born in 1972, in Gijón, Spain. He studied at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automotive Engineering in 1998. He then began his professional career at AUDI AG in Chassis Development. In 2002, he moved to SEAT, where he was responsible for various functions in the Technical Development over the next twelve years. He was in charge of the Chassis area and Whole Vehicle Engineering for all SEAT models from 2006 to 2013. He returned to AUDI AG in 2014 and took over product strategy and brand positioning for full-size models. In addition, he directed the powertrain, carbon and electrification strategy for all Audi models. Fermín Soneira was Head of Global Product Marketing at AUDI AG from mid-2016 until the end of August 2020. From September 2020, he was Head of the Product Line for Electric Models from the A to C Segment (Model series: Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q8 e-tron, A6 e-tron and e-tron GT) at AUDI AG. Since March 2024 Fermín Soneira is the CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project. The project has been set up in Shanghai to jointly develop a new China-specific platform for the next generation of premium intelligent, connected vehicles. This cooperation will further expand the Audi BEV portfolio in China with three new models starting in 2025.

It’s a journey through time back to the 1970s and 1980s. Under the motto “50 years of the Audi 80”, Audi Tradition will bring a special show with several anniversary cars to the Audi Piazza for the Night of Museums on September 3, offering an entertaining program from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Corporal pleasures will be provided for by the restaurant team at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt. Starting at 8:00 p.m., DJ Oldschool will provide musical accompaniment, sending the visitors back to the 1970s and 1980s. On top of that, the employees at the Audi museum mobile have prepared a series of special tours. A children’s tour will start at 6:10 p.m., and tours at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. will go through the special exhibition “The Fifth Ring” – about the history of NSU, the oldest traditional brand that makes up today’s AUDI AG. The detailed program can be found on the website of city of Ingolstadt, which is organizing the Night of Museums: ndm.ingolstadt.de.

At the tenth round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) on 15 October at Laguna Seca in California, Audi plays for its first match point: Should one of the two Audi R8 sportscars cross the finish line in the first four places ahead of the BMW and Panoz, then Team Audi Sport North America secures the ALMS manufacturer´s title two rounds before the end of the season. In the drivers´ championship as well, Audi has moved from being the hunter to the hunted: After a double victory at "Petit Le Mans", Audi driver Allan McNish captured the overall lead in the fiercely contested sportscar series, with his team mate Rinaldo Capello ranking second equal overall with BMW driver Jörg Müller. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro currently sit fifth and sixth respectively and also hold title chances. "Never give up," says Biela, "because in the remaining three races anything can happen." With five wins in succession, Le Mans winner Audi has impressively proven the extraordinary qualities of the Audi R8 in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). "Now we are reaping the rewards of our hard work. But we will keep the pressure on for the rest of the season, because nothing has been decided yet," declares team director Reinhold Joest. "Our wins to date are the rewards for a perfect car and a brilliant team." Allan McNish travels to the Laguna Seca race full of optimism: "It´s a quick track with several very difficult passages, including the famous corkscrew corner, that should suit our Audi nicely." So far this season Audi has clinched four double victories in the American Le Mans Series. Although the manufacturer´s title is within reach, and the Audi pilots have taken over the points lead in the drivers´ championship, Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport, warns against complacency: "It is, of course, fantastic that we are leading.