Keynote by Audi at first CES Asia in Shanghai. 2016 Market launch of next generation of Audi A4 L. First Chinese brand summit in Shanghai. Start of production of first locally produced PHEV model, the Audi A6 L e-tron. 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.
AUDI AG is represented in the world's largest single market by the subsidiary Audi China in Beijing, the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen with headquarters in Changchun, and since 2021, SAIC Volkswagen in Shanghai. As a result of the two-partner strategy implemented in 2021, Audi possesses its largest model portfolio in China to date. With the Audi FAW NEV Company, Audi is laying important groundwork for expansion of the local e-product portfolio and is building a new production plant for all-electric Audi models based on the PPE platform. Audi in the Chinese market The history of Audi in China goes back a long way: the company has had a presence there for more than 30 years. In 1988, it began its cooperation with the Chinese automaker First Automotive Works (FAW). As such, Audi was the first foreign premium manufacturer in the market and also the first to adapt its product portfolio to the specific needs of Chinese customers, for example by offering Audi models with extended wheelbases. AUDI AG is represented in Beijing by its 100%-owned subsidiary, Audi China. More than 600 employees at Audi China coordinate the cooperation between AUDI AG and its partners, the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen with head office in Changchun and – since 2021 – SAIC Volkswagen in Anting (Shanghai). With its two partners, Audi manufactures vehicles at a total of six locations: Changchun, Foshan, Tianjin, Qingdao, Anting (Shanghai), and Ningbo. One of the main focuses of the company is on the intensification of local research and development activities in order to offer market-specific technologies and products for the Chinese market. Audi China R&D develops models, products, and technologies that are specifically adapted to local customer requirements. Audi places particular emphasis on developing electronics, advanced driver assistance systems, market-specific connectivity features, and extended smart-cockpit features, i.e., intelligent operating and comfort functionalities.
AUDI AG is represented in the world's largest single market by the subsidiary Audi China in Beijing, the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen with headquarters in Changchun, SAIC Volkswagen in Shanghai, and the new production site in Changchun, operated under the joint venture Audi FAW NEV Company Ltd. As a result of the two-partner strategy implemented in 2021, Audi offers its largest model portfolio in China to date. Audi is also planning to develop new battery-electric models in an extended partnership with SAIC, thus consolidating the foundation for further success on the Chinese market. At a glance Auto China 2024: April 25 to May 4, 2024, at China International Exhibition Center in Beijing, China Volkswagen Group Night: April 24, 2024, 7 p.m. local time Audi Press Conference: April 25, 2024, 9.40 a.m. local time at the Audi booth Auto China press days: April 25 and 26, public days April 27 to May 4, 2024 The Board of Management of AUDI AG will be in attendance at Auto China 2024. Note for media: Detailed information, photos, and videos on the Audi Q6L e-tron will be available in the Audi MediaCenter from 2 p.m. on April 24. Further on-location content on Audi at Auto China will follow on April 25.
The two joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen (Changchun) and SAIC Volkswagen (Shanghai) are playing a key role in this process. Together with FAW, Audi has laid the foundation for the local production of electric models based on the new PPE for the Chinese market. Construction of the factory of the joint venture Audi FAW NEV Company is proceeding according to plan. The factory is designed to produce more than 150,000 vehicles per year, with the first electric cars due to roll off the production A long tradition: since 1988, the Four Rings have been a familiar sight on the streets of Chinese megacities. One model from the current portfolio is the Audi Q4 e-tron. Poised for production: from late 2024, the new factory in Changchun (China) will produce more than 150,000 models of the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron2 lines per year for the local market. ² The models in this generation are not yet available for purchase.Ph ot os : A U D I A G ( 2 ) 21 Audi Report 2023 Strategy & Company Finance ESG Appendix line in late 2024. In the future, the plant will produce three models from the Audi A6 e-tron² and Audi Q6 e-tron families for the Chinese market. Audi is also intensifying its collaboration with joint venture partner SAIC. In essence, this will involve the joint development of an electric platform in order to rapidly expand the range of smart, fully connected electric cars on the market. The aim is to gain access to segments in which Audi is not yet active in China. “We have found SAIC to have a fast pace of develop‑ ment and attractive framework conditions, which is why we’re teaming up with our partner to develop and produce vehicles together,” says Döllner. “The new vehicles will combine the best of both worlds and have distinct Audi genes.” Audi is strengthening its research and development activities in China outside of this initiative as well – with a view to launching market-specific models and technologies as quickly as possible.
This model was recently the protagonist of the "Diavel V4 Design Night" events, which from Amsterdam to New York up to Paris, Brussels, London, Kyoto and Shanghai, focused attention on Ducati design, in particular on a model that over the years has become an authentic style icon. The Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer is in the midst of the Ducati World Première 2024 which has already revealed to enthusiasts some of the new models for next year starting from the Monster 30th Anniversary in a limited and numbered series of 500 units, which is officially sold-out. The Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour, the DesertX Rally and the Multistrada V4 RS have also already been presented. The Ducati World Première calendar, so as not to miss a single episode, is available in the dedicated section of the official Ducati website. Ducati is awaiting all enthusiasts at EICMA to see the entire 2024 Ducati range live.
Audi presents the Audi activesphere concept study: Visitors can dive into the world of the car in a walk-in installation at the front of the venue Panel talk with Charles Lefranc, Design Manager, and Ryan Schlotthauer, Interior Designer Design Shanghai is one of three Chinese design fairs Audi is supporting this year
With its commitment to play a decisive role in shaping the future of premium mobility, Audi will again be the main sponsor and an active exhibitor at Design Shanghai in 2023. For the first time in China, the brand with the four rings will present the Audi activesphere concept study; its digital ecosystem merges physical reality with a virtual sphere to create a new world. Following Design Shenzhen in February and before Design Beijing in September, Design Shanghai is the third Chinese design fair Audi will attend. The event is at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center from June 8 to 11, 2023.
Audi has partnered with international design fairs for many years. Following its involvement in 2020 and 2021, the company will again be present as a main sponsor and active exhibitor at Design Shanghai, Asia’s foremost trade fair for design. In keeping with the trade fair's theme, ‘Beyond sustainability lies recreative design – Design for well-being’, Audi is displaying the activesphere concept design study in China for the first time. It’s holistic design puts humans at the center. Henrik Wenders, Head of Audi Brand, explains: “We are positioning ourselves at the trade fair as a designer among designers. After all, Audi sets standards with its progressive design, and we don’t just mean the shape of our cars. Audi Design brings our customers immersive, sustainable, and interactive experiences, pursuing our greater philosophy of shaping our future way of life. We aim to balance nature and society for a sustainable way of life for future generations. The Audi activesphere concept embodies our philosophy perfectly.”
For Audi, shaping the future is an expression of attitude. Nowhere is this attitude as palpable as in the brand’s concept cars. With the Audi skysphere, Audi grandsphere and Audi urbansphere concepts, Audi is illustrating its vision of progressive luxury.
The word “sphere” in the names emphasizes that the inner space – the interior – will be granted heightened importance in the mobility of the future. The interior will become the foundation for design and technology, turning the vehicle into a sphere where the passengers can enjoy life and experiences while on the go – a third living space.
For Audi, this includes a comprehensive ecosystem of automotive services: communications or relaxation, work or retreat in privacy – the car is transforming from a mere automobile into an experience device. With the sphere series, Audi is showing off its vision of the electric premium mobility of the future.
Footage from Auto Shanghai 2023, the largest automotive tradeshow in China. Audi appears at a joint booth together with its local partners First Automotive Works (FAW) and SAIC Motor, showing the F1 show car with Audi Launch Livery, the Audi A6 e-tron Avant concept and the Audi urbansphere concept.