Suitability for everyday use confirmed: a Paralympian and a wheelchair user test the Audi charging hub The Audi Q4 e-tron model family offers driving aids from the factory Ample room between charging stations and adjustable and lightweight equipment are decisive factors for easy use
When creating infrastructure for electric vehicles, it is important to remember people with mobility requirements. Audi brand ambassador Gerd Schönfelder, the most successful Winter Paralympian of all time, and Audi driver Uwe Herrmann have clear ideas on what charging without barriers and disability-friendly vehicle modifications should look like. Schönfelder lost his right arm and shoulder in an accident at the age of 19, while Hermann has been using a wheelchair since adolescence. While Schönfelder has been driving an Audi Q4 e-tron for the past 18 months, Herrmann (still) drives an Audi with a gasoline engine and is curious to hear about Schönfelder’s experiences. At the opening of the sixth Audi charging hub in Frankfurt am Main, the two men met up for a chat.
Gerd Schönfelder: Public charging stations must be accessible for all electric car drivers, including people with mobility needs. With its barrier-free features like the swivel arm and the height-adjustable display, the Audi charging hub is a great place for people like us with disabilities to charge their cars in a comfortable environment quickly. In my opinion, however, everybody benefits from the barrier-free concept at this charging facility. Uwe Herrmann: I’m still driving a car with a gasoline engine, but everything I’ve heard about e-mobility to date sounds positive. And the Audi charging hub looks promising, too. Sometimes, I have to ask for help filling up my current Audi SQ5 when the car is in an awkward position. But that could soon change with an electrically powered Audi at a charging point like this.
1981 3 victories in the World Rally Championship (Audi quattro) 1982 Winner manufacturers’ classification World Rally Championship (Audi quattro) 1983 Winner drivers’ classification World Rally Championship (Audi quattro) 1984 Winner drivers’ and manufacturers’ classification World Rally Championship (Audi quattro) 1985 Winner Rally San Remo (Audi Sport quattro S1) Winner Pikes Peak Hillclimb Race (Audi Sport quattro S1) Winner Rally Hong Kong–Beijing (Audi quattro) 1986 Winner Pikes Peak Hillclimb Race (Audi Sport quattro S1) Winner Rally Hong Kong–Beijing (Audi quattro) 1987 Winner Safari Rally (Audi 200 quattro) Winner Pikes Peak Hillclimb Race (Audi Sport quattro S1) 1988 Winner TransAm Series (Audi 200 quattro) 1989 7 victories IMSA GTO Series (Audi 90 quattro) 1990 Winner German Touring Car Championship (Audi V8 quattro) 1991 Winner German Touring Car Championship (Audi V8 quattro) 1993 Winner French Touring Car Championship (Audi 80 quattro) 1994 Winner Italian Touring Car Championship (Audi 80 competition) 1995 Winner Italian Touring Car Championship (Audi A4 quattro) Winner Touring Car World Cup (Audi A4 quattro) 1996 Winner Super Touring Car Championships Australia, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and South Africa (Audi A4 quattro) 1997 Winner Central European Touring Car Championship (Audi A4 quattro) 1999 3rd place Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R8R) Winner German Super Touring Car Championship (Audi A4 quattro) Winner Swedish Touring Car Championship (Audi A4 quattro) 2000 Winner Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R8) Winner Sebring 12 Hours (Audi R8) Winner ‘Petit Le Mans’ (Audi R8) Winner American Le Mans Series (Audi R8) 2001 Winner Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R8) Winner Sebring 12 Hours (Audi R8) Winner ‘Petit Le Mans’ (Audi R8) Winner American Le Mans Series (Audi R8) Winner European Le Mans Series (Audi R8) Winner Speedvision GT (Audi S4 Competition) Winner Swedish Touring Car Championship (Audi A4 quattro) 2002 Winner Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R8) Winner Sebring
The Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt is the first Audi plant in Germany with its own battery assembly facility Integration of production into existing body shop and assembly structures The Q6 e-tron series rolls off the production line in Ingolstadt with net zero emissions
Since production started in late 2023, the Audi Q6 e-tron series has been the first high-volume fully electric model series that Audi has produced at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. In keeping with the brand’s 360factory production strategy, Audi has integrated individual production steps into existing body shop and assembly structures and processes. Since January 1, 2024, Ingolstadt is the third Audi location to manufacture with net zero emissions1, following Brussels (2018) and Győr (2020). In addition, the brand with the four rings’ headquarters is also the first Audi location in Germany to have its own battery assembly facility.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner emphasizes the significance of the first model based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE): “The PPE, and with it the Q6 e-tron series, form the basis for subsequent electric Audi models. In this way, we are taking a decisive step towards offering an electric model in all core segments by 2027.” Audi Board Member for Production and Logistics Gerd Walker sees the start of production as an important milestone for the 360factory production strategy: “By the end of the decade, we will have successively equipped all Audi locations for the production of electric models. We are harnessing electrification to comprehensively transform our existing plants. With the production of the Q6 e-tron series, the Ingolstadt plant is taking the next step towards becoming a 360factory.” Audi has a clear vision for the production of the future. As part of this holistic, sustainable approach, the company is modernizing, digitalizing, and transforming its existing plants.
The success story of AUDI AG in motorsport Victories and titles since 1981
Audi positions itself as the sportiest manufacturer in the premium segment and has a perfect basis to do so: motorsport. Sportiness, advanced technology and emotive design are the basis for the success of the Audi brand. The genes for this have their origin in racing, since 1980.
The success story began with the Audi quattro Excluding the era before the Second World War that included the legendary Auto Union Grand Prix race cars in the 1930s, the motorsport history of AUDI AG began with the Audi quattro. The dominant victories and two manufacturers’ and two drivers’ titles achieved with the “original quattro” in the World Rally Championship between 1982 and 1984 were an important factor in the market success of the quattro drivetrain. quattro victorious in circuit racing as well After Audi had turned rallying upside down and stormed up Pikes Peak (USA) with the Sport quattro in record time on three successive occasions, Audi also made the quattro drivetrain fit for circuit racing: initially with the Audi 200 quattro and the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO in the United States, in 1990 and 1991 with two championship titles for the Audi V8 quattro in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), and ultimately also with the A4 in the production-based super touring cars. In 1996, the Audi A4 quattro won the championship titles in seven countries. Between 2012 and 2016, the all-wheel drive system returned to the race track as the e-tron quattro. Audi R8 most successful Le Mans sports car in present-day racing After the dominant quattro drivetrain was banned from touring car racing, Audi switched to sports prototypes and also underpinned its slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” in this motorsport category for 18 years. Audi, on making its debut at Le Mans in 1999, the toughest endurance race in the world, immediately managed the leap onto the podium, finishing third overall.
Good sales performance in Europe, the USA, and China Around 178,000 fully electric vehicles delivered Audi CEO Gernot Döllner: “Robust starting position for a challenging year in 2024”
Audi delivered around 1.9 million cars in 2023. Deliveries of more than 178,000 fully electric vehicles resulted in an increase of 51 percent compared to 2022. The high demand serves as a robust foundation for a challenging year of transformation with a clear focus on electromobility: One next important step will be the world premiere of the Audi Q6 e-tron at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
“Audi is a strong brand with a clear focus on an electric future,” says Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “The high demand for our models serves as a robust starting point for the new year. At the same time, we recognize that 2024 will be a challenging year due to increased competition and global economic uncertainties. This makes it all the more important to follow a clear plan that addresses these challenges and focuses on the profitability of our vehicles. In 2024 and 2025, we will also strengthen and rejuvenate our portfolio with numerous new models. The focus will be on our groundbreaking electric cars. We are also giving the brand a robust positioning for the coming years with an entirely new generation of combustion engine models and plug-in hybrids.” In 2023, Audi increased deliveries in all world regions and showed higher growth than the overall market. The strong growth in demand for fully electric models, in particular, confirms the company’s consistent electrification strategy.
Good sales performance in Europe, the USA, and China “We were able to increase deliveries in 2023 by more than 17 percent”, says Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at Audi. “This was made possible thanks to the efforts of our international team and our dealership partners worldwide – thank you for your impressive performance!
The manufacture of the Audi Q6 e-tron series is a collaboration across locations. The electrically powered SUV marks the first time the brand with the four rings has produced an all-electric Audi model at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. Audi is building the electric motors for the premiere Premium Platform Electric (PPE) model in Győr, Hungary. In this interview, Siegfried Schmidtner, plant manager in Ingolstadt, and Alfons Dintner, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi Hungaria, discuss the collaboration between the two sites, the mood among employees in the light of the company’s ongoing transformation, and the future prospects for Ingolstadt and Győr.
Mr. Schmidtner, what’s the attitude of the workforce in Ingolstadt toward the upcoming shift to electric mobility? Siegfried Schmidtner: Our employees are key to the transformation; I observe daily that they are incredibly positive and motivated by the shift. There is a palpable sense of optimism. We’ve been working hard to prepare for the transformation to electric mobility – so we’re ready to get going. Electric mobility represents a tremendous opportunity for Ingolstadt. We will be the pioneer for the Premium Platform Electric and the new E3 electronics architecture. We’re proud to play a vital role in shaping the company’s transformation. What challenges do Győr and Ingolstadt face in view of the impending changes? Alfons Dintner: Győr has been manufacturing for 30 years. The site has successfully handled numerous model launches, so it is prepared for the transformation, the changeover, and the zeitgeist. The people who work here have been with the company for a long time and are therefore very experienced. In addition, Audi Hungaria doesn’t only build engines but also entire vehicles. It has its own technical development department, in-house toolmaking shop and offers services to the whole Volkswagen Group.
Audi S6 plus marked the start of vehicle development at what is today Audi Sport GmbH The DNA of the RS models: maximum driving dynamics, unrestricted everyday utility, and highest differentiation Steffen Bamberger, Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH: “RS models will still offer drivers great fun behind the wheel when electrified.”
plus! At the former quattro GmbH, these four letters represented the particularly sporty derivatives of what were already highly performaning RS 6 and RS 7 models. They adhered to the philosophy of leveraging as much car technology as possible, i.e., teasing out an additional plus in driving dynamics – while retaining the everyday usability the vehicles were renowned for. In 2016, “plus” became “performance”, but the philosophy remained the same. It all began almost 30 years ago with the Audi S6 plus: A look, both back in time and into the future, at the highest performance cars in Audi’s portfolio.
The history of the RS 6 performance models began with the C4 generation Audi S6 plus in 1996. That is when quattro GmbH (now Audi Sport GmbH), initially a supplier of high-quality accessories from 1983 and then tasked with a vehicle customization program starting in 1995, was given a new focus. It took over responsibility for the sporty derivative, internally called the Q1. Following the success of the Audi Avant RS2, the aim was to create a new model with more power and greater driving dynamics. The Audi S6 V8 provided the ideal foundation for this goal. The ancestor of all high-performance models: the Audi S6 plus For the S6 plus, Audi’s engine development unit in Neckarsulm developed a more powerful version of the 4.2-liter V8 that powered the regular Audi S6. The engine’s output was increased from 290 to 326 PS, outstripping even the Audi Avant RS2. The car was given larger front brakes, a six-speed transmission with shorter ratios on third gear and up, and stiffer suspension.
Audi owners can view live streams, catch up on the news, and enjoy other creative content while charging or during driving breaks The Audi infotainment system delivers a seamless digital entertainment experience Audi is the first brand in the Volkswagen Group to bring video streaming to its vehicles
Audi is integrating YouTube, the world’s largest video platform, into selected models’ infotainment systems. By embedding a new app store, customers can intuitively access popular third-party apps through the Multimedia Interface (MMI) via a data link in the vehicle. The YouTube app is now available in the app store for the first time. Video streaming will launch in selected Audi models in the summer of 2023, with other VW Group brands to follow.
More than 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute. From this month, drivers of selected Audi models can access their chosen content via the YouTube app in their vehicle’s infotainment system. This access is made possible by embedding the new app store, which Audi developed with Volkswagen’s software company CARIAD and its partner HARMAN Ignite. It allows customers to integrate the apps they use every day into their vehicles according to their personal needs. Enabled apps include music, video, gaming, navigation, parking and charging, productivity, weather, and news. Apps such as YouTube are installed directly in Audi’s MMI system – without taking a detour via a smartphone. Convenience and entertainment during charging stops Whether during charging stops, driving breaks, or to make waiting more enjoyable – live streams, news, and videos from popular YouTubers can now allow everyone in the vehicle to make the most of their time. The app works just like the YouTube app on a smartphone. After installing the app in the store, it appears in the MMI and is launched by tapping the icon. To meet Audi’s high safety requirements, occupants can only play videos when the vehicle is parked.