Audi Sport customer racing will head with the number 1 in its twelfth race at the Nürburgring 24 Hours from September 24 to 27: After its fifth victory in last year’s tradition-steeped Eifel event, the Audi R8 LMS of Audi Sport Team Phoenix will bear the leading starting number. A total of nine of the brand’s racing cars will be competing in various categories in this endurance race. In addition, three more touring cars from a customer team are part of the supporting program in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup.

In its most successful weekend in the ADAC GT Masters to date, the Audi R8 LMS achieved a 1-2-3 win at Hockenheim. The first generation of the GT3 sports car is still a winner as well, while the leader of the TCR Italy standings relies on the Audi RS 3 LMS touring car.

Winning the title in a rush: With a 1-2-3 victory at the Nürburgring, Audi has already secured the DTM manufacturers’ championship with six races still to go before the end of the season. The teams’ title in the last DTM season with Class 1 cars will also go to the brand with the four rings.

Second victory in a row: following his success on the Grand Prix circuit last Sunday, Robin Frijns from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline also won the first of the two DTM races on the Nürburgring’s sprint circuit. The “Flying Dutchman” clinched an extremely rare lights-to-flag victory in the DTM, even though his lead was wiped out three times by the safety car.

Enabled by the partnership with Audi: FC Bayern Munich is the first international football club to drive using electric power. The stars of the Champions League winner received their Audi e-tron models in Munich today and are immediately ready to go: Audi has already installed the charging points for the electric fleet at Bayern’s training grounds on S?bener Strasse.

Just one week after the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Audi Sport customer racing has the next date on its calendar: For its North American round from October 2 to 4, the Intercontinental GT Challenge will make its debut at Indianapolis, the tradition-steeped temple of speed in U.S. motorsport in the state of Indiana. The experienced Belgian Team WRT of Vincent Vosse, which has already won the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa as well as numerous championship titles, will cooperate for the first time with the American Team Hardpoint.

Swiss Audi DTM driver Nico Müller takes stock after ten of a total of 18 races in the 2020 season. The 28-year-old also talks about his relationship with his teammate and closest pursuer in the drivers’ championship, Robin Frijns, and shares more about his family life.

Audi adds a new member to the A3 family: the A3 Sportback 30 g-tron. Operation with natural gas or biomethane makes the compact model particularly economical and climate-friendly with very low emissions. Like all variants of the new A3 model series, it boasts a sporty design, a digital operating concept and generous standard equipment. Sales in Germany begin in fall 2020 at a base price of €30,705.88.

Audi is a founding partner of Nico Rosberg’s GREENTECH FESTIVAL. Under the motto “A story about tomorrow,” the company is showing how it is striving to achieve its self-defined vision of net CO₂ neutrality by 2050. The company is taking measures along the entire value chain in pursuit of this goal. In addition, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron concept show car is making its show debut at the festival. It provides a tangible look at the brand’s first electric car in the compact segment and is the gateway to the world of premium electric mobility. Strategic partnerships with Climeworks and the Audi Environmental Foundation underscore Audi’s efforts to help achieve the Paris climate goals.

Audi is presenting the SQ7 and the SQ8 with new TFSI engines. The brand is thus responding to the worldwide trend toward sporty gasoline engines in the high-performance SUV segment. In terms of their suspension, the Audi SQ7 TFSI and the Audi SQ8 TFSI offer many high-tech components, and new connectivity and assist functions round off the technology package. The large S models will be launched on the European markets successively, starting in the fall of 2020.

It was the weekend of the privateers: Two French private drivers won a race in the Audi R8 LMS in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, while Comtoyou Racing celebrated its first victory of the season in Zolder and stormed to the top in both the TCR Europe and the FIA WTCR with the Audi RS 3 LMS in two championship standings each.

Audi has achieved an (almost) perfect start to the second half of the DTM season at the Nürburgring. In the tenth race of the season, the brand celebrated its fourth five-fold victory. Only eight days after his first DTM triumph, Robin Frijns from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline again crossed the finish line in first place.

Halftime in the most compact season in DTM history: After nine of 18 scheduled races, title defender Audi is clearly leading all three championships of the touring car racing series. Championship leader Nico Müller from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline managed a perfect Saturday in the first of the four races at the Nürburgring.

A conventional internal combustion engine or a fully electric powertrain? There is a third answer to this fundamental question of modern mobility: PHEV – a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or in short: a plug-in hybrid. The combination of a conventional internal combustion engine (IC engine) and an electric motor supplied with energy from a lithium-ion battery at the rear of the vehicle enables locally emission-free driving and low overall consumption. An overview of the current Audi technologies and models.

Audi is showing consistency and continuing with its electric offensive – with the new Audi e-tron S and the new Audi e-tron S Sportback. Both of the S models with fully electric drive use three electric motors, two of which operate on the rear axle. Their intelligent drive control raises vehicle safety, and dynamic handling in particular, to a new level. In addition to the electric all-wheel drive, the vehicles are equipped with electric torque vectoring with active and fully variable torque distribution on the rear axle.

Walter R?hrl, Frank Biela, Laurent Aiello, Mattias Ekstr?m, Martin Tomczyk, Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara, René Rast, Jamie Green: The list of Audi drivers who have won a DTM race at the Nürburgring reads like a small “Who’s who” of touring car racing. Over the next two weekends (September 12–13 and September 19–20), there will be four more opportunities to be added to the list of winners.

For the third time in a row, a team from Audi Sport customer racing dominated the Fuji 24 Hours in Japan. The Audi RS 3 LMS achieved its fifth victory in a competition over this distance worldwide. Further successes of the TCR racing car and the GT3 model complete the first weekend in September of Audi Sport customer racing.

The Swiss company Climeworks is building the world’s largest direct air capture and storage facility for converting atmospheric CO₂ to rock in Iceland. Audi is partnering with the Zurich-based environmental start-up and promoting a future technology with the project. The facility will filter 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air and mineralize it underground. Climeworks is removing 1,000 metric tons thereof from the atmosphere on behalf of Audi.

Now is the moment: get going with a career! Around 420 apprentices and 23 dual study undergraduates are starting their professional careers today at Audi in Ingolstadt.

After the five-fold victory on Saturday, Audi also achieved a strong result in Sunday’s DTM race in Assen with second, third, fourth and fifth places. Robin Frijns and Nico Müller handed Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline a double podium.

Robin Frijns could not have chosen a better moment for his first victory in the DTM: The Dutch Audi driver triumphed at Assen on Saturday in front of a home crowd.

Four years ago, Audi put a trendsetter on the road with the Q2, and it was a huge success. Now the compact SUV is showcasing its progressive character even more clearly – with an even more striking profile with new headlights on the outside and additional Audi connect services and driver assist systems on the inside. The Audi Q2 is a real eye-catcher – and now it is even more fun to drive.

In the Canadian Touring Car Championship, Canadian privateer Zachary Vanier won the first title of an Audi Sport customer this year with an Audi RS 3 LMS. A one-two victory for the Audi R8 LMS in the Nürburgring Endurance Series and successes in the Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy complete a successful weekend for Audi Sport.

On the first weekend in September, the DTM will be racing at the famous TT Circuit in Assen (Netherlands). The circuit, which is known above all else for motorcycle racing, already thrilled the Audi drivers at its premiere last year. The anticipation for Assen is twice as great this time: It is the first opportunity that spectators will be allowed to watch DTM races live at a circuit this year.

How do you provide a large SUV with sporty road-holding properties and minimal body roll without impairing ride comfort? Audi has resolved this conflict of objectives by means of electromechanical roll stabilization (eAWS). Assisted by the 48-volt onboard electrical system and powerful actuators, the stabilizers on the front and rear axle can be actively controlled according to the driving situation.

The Audi Environmental Foundation is supporting the nonprofit start-up company Nunam of German-Indian founder Prodip Chatterjee. The 29-year-old is working to prevent premature recycling of electronic waste. Nunam buys discarded laptop batteries from scrap dealers in the Indian state of Karnataka and uses their battery cells for stationary energy storage systems. The resulting power banks can supply electricity to items that consume small amounts of power such as smartphones, fans or lamps, and can serve as a power source for people in rural areas of India. Nunam has so far found that old laptop batteries have an average remaining capacity of approximately two thirds.

Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock scored a remarkable victory at the Lausitzring with an Audi R8 LMS, which had a novel drive-by-wire system instead of the steering column tried and tested in automotive engineering.

Robin Frijns from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline was the best Audi driver in third place in the “craziest” DTM race of the season so far, even though the Dutchman started from pole position for the fourth time this year.

DTM Champion René Rast from Audi Sport Team Rosberg celebrated his second consecutive victory at the Lausitzring. Nico Müller and Robin Frijns from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline completed a podium sweep for Audi.

Before the second DTM race weekend in the Lausitz, three-time pole setter Robin Frijns looks back on the busy start to the season. The Audi DTM driver also shares more about the atmosphere within the Abt Sportsline team and tells how he is spending his few days at home.

When the starting lights for the Nürburgring 24 Hours go out on September 26, Audi Sport wants to fight for the sixth overall victory with a strong line-up. Since the beginning of the customer racing program in 2009 the brand has already won the endurance classic five times with the GT3 sports car Audi R8 LMS. No other manufacturer was as successful in this era.

After five consecutive calendar weeks during which the GT3 sports car Audi R8 LMS celebrated 17 victories worldwide, the Audi RS 3 LMS enjoyed a great third weekend in August. The entry-level touring car from Audi Sport customer racing clinched four victories and a total of nine podiums.

DTM thriller at the Lausitzring: In a spectacular Sunday’s race, title defender René Rast from Audi Sport Team Rosberg and championship leader Nico Müller from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline crossed the finish line side-by-side in their Audi RS 5 DTM cars. 0.089 seconds separated the two Audi drivers. The last time the DTM saw such a close finish was 24 years ago.

Three races, three victories: Nico Müller is the man of the hour in the DTM. After his double victory at the season opener at Spa, the Swiss driver also won Saturday’s race at the Lausitzring for Audi. Teammate Robin Frijns completed Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s success with third place.

Fourth place for René Rast, sixth for Lucas di Grassi: Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler finished the last Formula E race of the season with both cars in the top six.

For four decades, Audi has been setting the pace with permanent quattro all-wheel drive and thus initiated a paradigm shift in powertrain technology in the automotive world and in motorsport. The brand is now using the knowledge it has accumulated in this area since 1980 for the next step. The electric quattro in the models of the e-tron range marks Audi’s next milestone achievement in the age of electric mobility. Enjoyable driving and efficiency are fused into a total package.

René Rast has arrived in Formula E. In his fifth race for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team, the Audi factory driver fought his way to his first podium in the electric racing series with a spectacular pass shortly before the finish.

A good 20 years ago, Audi opened up the sporty premium compact market segment with the first S3. Now the brand is presenting the new generation – an S3 Sportback and an S3 Sedan. Its 2.0 TFSI engine produces 228 kW (310 PS) of power and 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) of torque. Both models (S3 Sportback: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7.4 (31.8 US mpg); Combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 170–169 (273.6–272.0 g/mi); S3 Sedan: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7.3–7.2 (32.2–32.7 US mpg); Combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 166–165 (267.2–265.5 g/mi)) accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.8 seconds. A seven-speed S tronic, the quattro drive with intelligent control, and an S-specific sport suspension with optional damper control deliver the power to the road effortlessly. A number of other new features – including the operating concept, infotainment, and assist systems – round off the high-tech character of the S3 models.

More than 170 Audi summer kids are currently enjoying a varied and creative vacation program. The theme is “WELLness Weeks.” Some adjustments have been made, but the program is taking place from July?27 to August?21 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

After Audi Sport’s customers had already celebrated four major victories in Europe’s most important GT3 racing series in Germany, Italy and at European level over the past few weeks, two further significant victories in the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup were clinched on the second weekend in August.

Since August 11, 2019, Audi has been unbeaten in the DTM. After the impressive performance of the Audi RS 5 DTM at the season opener at Spa, the touring car racing series continues with four races at the Lausitzring, where Audi has already won nine times in the DTM and celebrated a very special triumph last year.

Audi driver Lucas di Grassi also scored points in the fourth race of the Formula E finale in Berlin, keeping his chances very much alive to finish the season as runner-up. On Sunday evening, the Brazilian drove his Audi e-tron FE06 from 12th on the grid to sixth in light rain and partially wet track conditions.

Half-time at the marathon season finale of Formula E in Berlin. After three of the six races in the German capital, Lucas di Grassi from the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team is third with 61 points in the drivers’ championship of the electric racing series.

Exactly 40 years ago, Audi revolutionized the automotive world. With its permanent quattro all-wheel drive the company, in 1980, presented a new approach to chassis technology that still decisively underpins the slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik.” Today, thanks to smart interlinking by the Electronic Chassis Platform (ECP), innovative chassis systems such as electromechanical Active Roll Stabilization (eAWS), the predictive active suspension and Dynamic All-wheel Steering (DAS) are able to unfold their full potential. In the Audi e-tron, the integrated Brake Control System (iBRS) emphasizes the fact that efficiency will become the third variable in chassis development alongside ride comfort and sportiness. As a high-tech control unit, the future vehicle dynamics computer can simultaneously actuate up to 90 components.

Second race of Formula E in Berlin, first podium for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler. From sixth on the grid, Lucas di Grassi moved up to third place on Thursday evening. With 13th place, René Rast only narrowly missed out on points despite starting from pit lane.

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler scored points with both cars in the first race of Formula E after the break of more than five months. Lucas di Grassi showed one of his typical comeback drives after a botched qualifying session. DTM champion René Rast scored a point straight away in his first race for Audi in the electric racing series.

Within just 14 days, Audi Sport customers celebrated four major victories in Europe’s most important GT3 racing series. After having won the season opener in Italian endurance racing two weeks ago and the GT World Challenge Europe a week ago, the Audi R8 LMS now also prevailed in the season opener of the ADAC GT Masters and in the Sprint Series of the Italian GT Championship in one race each.

The Audi RS 5 DTM is the car to beat also in the 2020 DTM. At the season opener at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Audi swept the top five positions in the second race on Sunday as it had done the day before. Defending champion René Rast narrowly won a thrilling duel with Saturday’s winner Nico Müller. The podium on Sunday was completed by Robin Frijns. It was the ninth consecutive victory for Audi in the DTM.

With positions one to five in the first race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), title defender Audi had a dream start into the new DTM season. Outstanding driver in Saturday’s 1-2-3-4-5 success was the Swiss Nico Müller from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline.

A more efficient division of labor and increased Group synergies – as part of the reorganization of competencies within the Volkswagen Group, today’s Audi Annual General Meeting will also vote on a so-called squeeze-out under stock corporation law. This will result in the transfer all the Audi shares of the remaining shareholders to Volkswagen AG, which already holds 99.64 percent of the share capital of AUDI AG. The Audi Board of Management would like to thank the shareholders for their trust and loyalty. The planned structure is intended to strengthen Audi’s role within the Volkswagen Group and to increase the future competitiveness of the Volkswagen Group.

Results of the first six months: In the first half of this year, deliveries, revenue and operating profit were below the previous year’s figures. As expected, the consequences of the corona pandemic are presenting major challenges for the entire economy and for Audi as well. The second quarter in particular featured an orderly restart of production and a significant recovery in customer demand. A positive trend is evident in car deliveries: At minus 22 percent, Audi is significantly better positioned than the market as a whole with minus 28 percent. As a result, the Audi Group’s revenue in the first half of 2020 totaled €20,476 million and its operating loss before special items was €643 million.

In June 2020, the next generation of a lighting technology premiered in the Audi Q5: digital OLED technology. With organic light-emitting diodes (so-called OLEDs), Audi was a pioneer as far back as in 2016. Now digitalization is ringing in a new age. This technology promises to improve road safety and is the first to allow for personalization of the taillight signature.

Nine days, six races, three track layouts, a new driver in the team: the restart of the Formula E season is full of challenges for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler. The German squad has big aims for its six-pack home round in the capital city and is determined to battle for trophies and the championship titles.

Audi is using a specially developed drone system to locate vehicles that are ready for dispatch at the Neckarsulm site. The flying device flies over the vehicle dispatch area at the Audi site in Neckarsulm autonomously. The drone uses GPS and RFID technology to identify and save the exact position of all vehicles it flew over, thereby helping Audi employees to plan the necessary steps from completion of the vehicles to dispatch to the customers.

Audi Sport made a strong showing with its customers in Europe, Japan and Canada. The opening victory of the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the most fiercely contested endurance racing series in Europe was the highlight of the fourth weekend in July.

Next weekend (August 1–2), the most compact DTM season of all time, all within just 100 days, will kick off on a very special race track: For the first time, the Audi RS 5 DTM will compete at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

Increasing network stability, lowering electricity costs, and contributing to climate protection – that is the vision that Audi and the Hager Group are pursuing. The incorporation of the electric car into the domestic grid is at the core of an innovative research project on bidirectional charging. This offers major advantages in combination with a photovoltaic system in particular. Excess PV electricity can be stored temporarily and output as needed.

Smart, digital maintenance: The “Predictive Maintenance” project at the Audi Neckarsulm site makes maintaining production equipment more efficient and reduces production downtime. Maintenance experts collect and interpret associated data and can predict wear on production equipment.

Sporting conclusion to the Audi Digital Summer Tour and the perfect dress rehearsal for the restart of the Champions League just one week later: On July 31, FC Bayern Munich will welcome the team from Olympique Marseille at the FC Bayern Campus. The kick-off of the Audi Football Summit is at 4 pm.

It is a premiere in international motorsport: Within just nine days, Formula E holds its last six races of the season in August, including the title outcomes in the drivers’ and teams’ classifications. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is ready for the six-pack at the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.

Audi Sport Italia made a strong start in the Italian GT Championship in an endurance race that was fiercely contested all the way to the end. Two GT4 exploits and one podium result each for the Audi R8 LMS GT2 and the Audi RS 3 LMS round off the weekend’s success.

The Audi Environmental Foundation and the NaturVision Film Festival for nature, wildlife, the environment and sustainability are continuing their collaboration for the third year: the NaturVision Short Film Award, dedicated this time to the theme “Whispering Forest,” is donated and presented by the Audi Environmental Foundation. More than 360 filmmakers from 25 countries submitted their works. The motto for this year’s film festival – “Rethinking” – was also reflected in the design of the festival. The award will be presented for the first time during a purely online event – winner Sébastien Pins will be connected via video message. The prize is worth €5,000.

The Audi e-tron is the worldwide market leader in its segment. The first fully electric series production model from Audi is popular all over the world with customers and media alike. Numerous awards and comparative tests stand testament to this. With the e-tron GT, the Q4 e-tron, and the Q4 Sportback e-tron, Audi is looking toward an electric year 2021 in both senses of the word.

Audi presents the SQ7 and the SQ8 with new TFSI engines. The brand is thus responding to the worldwide trend toward sporty gasoline engines in the high-performance SUV segment. The Audi SQ7 and SQ8 feature numerous high-tech suspension components and offer new connectivity and assistance functions. They will launch on the European markets beginning in autumn 2020.

Audi presents the SQ7 and the SQ8 with new TFSI engines. The brand is thus responding to the worldwide trend toward sporty gasoline engines in the high-performance SUV segment. The Audi SQ7 and SQ8 feature numerous high-tech suspension components and offer new connectivity and assistance functions. They will launch on the European markets beginning in autumn 2020.

Technical Development – internally referred to at Audi as “TE” – is the place where the brand’s heart beats. It is the place where “Vorsprung durch Technik” becomes a reality. The engineers develop innovations from the initial idea to market level. The new “Audi TechFocus” online newsletter provides detailed insights behind the scenes of TE. The topic of the premiere issue: patents. Or: this is how we document “Vorsprung durch Technik.”

The Audi plants have been using automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for many years. These vehicles assist in supermarkets – logistics areas where employees pre-pick components in the correct sequence. The company is reversing the sequencing principle for the first time in Supermarket 2.0. Here goods come to the employee rather than the other way around. This is all made possible thanks to innovative control software developed by Audi experts together with Ingolstadt-based start-up arculus.

From a technical perspective, they are identical twins, but in terms of their shape, they each have their own unmistakable and characteristic features: The Audi Q4 e-tron concept gave visitors to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show a taste of the first compact electric SUV from Audi. With the Q4 Sportback e-tron, the brand is now presenting the second model of the product line that will go into production in 2021 as an SUV Coupé.

The final phase of preparation for the restart of the Formula E season has begun: Newcomer René Rast completed his first laps in the electric race car during testing at the Lausitzring. Alongside his teammate, Lucas di Grassi, the German got up to speed for his race debut with the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team.

What looks like a carefully unpacked toy from above is actually real. The paramedics from Audi Occupational Health have now taken the Tetris Challenge, too. What is the challenge? To completely clean out the service vehicle and neatly arrange the equipment next to the ambulance – including the paramedics themselves. A nice side effect of this fun inventory: The equipment gets checked and overhauled in the process.

Good health is in higher demand than ever: Audi Health Protection is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020. Thanks to the coronavirus, there will be no big celebration. “The coronavirus pandemic has once again demonstrated the central importance of our health, both in society and at companies. At Audi, the health of our employees is at the forefront of everything we do,” says Chief HR Officer Sabine Maa?en.

The Audi Q5 has been one of the bestselling SUVs in the premium mid-size segment on European markets for years. And now, Audi has made it even better and even more attractive. The optimized Q5 combines a sporty character with excellent everyday usability, and comes with a wide array of infotainment and assistance options. The sharpened exterior design of this highly successful model emphasizes the Q identity and boasts a rear light cluster featuring digital OLED technology for the first time worldwide.

The Audi sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm are launching their 2021 application period with a wide range of future-focused dual study bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Audi students and program managers will provide live insights into the degree programs and answer all questions relating to the courses on offer during virtual stream and chat information events on July 6 and 8. Prospective students can then apply from July 13 to September 13, 2020, for the semester starting in winter 2021.

The Audi Board of Management has announced that the new date of the 131st Annual General Meeting is July 31, 2020. The originally foreseen date (May 14, 2020) had previously been postponed in connection with the planned transfer of shares from Audi’s minority shareholders to the majority shareholder Volkswagen AG. The agenda includes a resolution on the so-called squeeze-out. Due to the ongoing corona pandemic, the Audi Annual General Meeting will be held as a virtual Annual General Meeting for the protection of shareholders.

Audi is launching a worldwide pilot project with its partner FC Bayern Munich: The record-holding German champions are going on a virtual summer tour.

Formula E is making a spectacular comeback on the race track: Between August 5 and 13, the all-electric racing series will be staging no less than six rounds in succession at the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. At Lucas di Grassi’s side, two-time DTM champion René Rast will contest the remaining races of the current season with the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team.

This Thursday, the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG decided on further structural changes, thus strengthening the premium brand’s vehicle-project business. A newly created division will independently manage the model series with currently 65 models as well as the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) project house. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, in his additional function as Board of Management Member for Development, will also head the new division, which is to be a client for Technical Development. The Supervisory Board has made another strategic decision: The Chairman of the Board of Management will assume direct responsibility for the China business in the future.

CEO Markus Duesmann is also Head of Technical Development at Audi with immediate effect. Nearly three months after becoming Chairman of the Board of Management, the Supervisory Board on Thursday additionally entrusted him with responsibility for Technical Development at AUDI AG. Duesmann will realign the premium brand’s development division with a special focus on process quality. He will be supported by a Chief Operating Officer, who will coordinate the day-to-day business of the development engineers, and a Chief Transition Architect, who will organize the realignment of the Technical development at Audi. Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler is leaving the company at his own request.

Audi is a new founding partner of the GREENTECH FESTIVAL. This festival of green technologies and sustainable lifestyle has been fundamentally reconceived. Its founders, Nico Rosberg, Marco Voigt and Sven Krüger, will present the forum under the motto “celebrate change” as a hybrid for the first time, from 16 to 18 September in the Kraftwerk Berlin. A blend of on-the-spot program elements, digital components and livestreams will enable guests to have a close-up experience of numerous contents, some of them taking place simultaneously. With the GREEN AWARDS, Audi is also becoming the patron for one of the four core modules of the festival.

The Audi Denkwerkstatt is once again among the best digital innovation hubs in a German company. This was the verdict of the “Konzerne auf den Spuren von Startups 2020” (companies on the trail of startups 2020) study conducted by the business magazine Capital and consulting firm Infront Consulting. Its top ranking can be largely attributed to the strong customer focus, which is essential for the creation of scalable business models. Its firm anchoring in the Berlin startup scene was another reason for its success. The study also showed that digital innovation hubs are being thrust increasingly into the spotlight as a result of the challenges thrown up by the coronavirus crisis.

Aerodynamics is a key factor in range particularly with all-electric automobiles. Thanks to smart technology innovations, Audi’s sporty SUV coupé achieves a remarkably low drag coefficient figure of 0.26. The sophisticated aerodynamics concept features many innovative detailed solutions.

Under the motto “Together for Music”, the Audi Sommerkonzerte will be held in Ingolstadt from 2 to 5 July 2020. With four concerts streamed live from the Audi museum mobile and the hall for employee assemblies in Audi’s GVZ industrial park, the festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary with renowned artists and ensembles. For loyal festival audiences, small open-air concerts will take place in Ingolstadt. The originally planned festival program, “Lights of Europe”, is postponed until 2021.

Audi has a long tradition of using aluminum. The first Audi A8 with the Audi Space Frame, a pioneering achievement in lightweight construction, debuted in 1994. Audi continues to use the lightweight metal in various components of what is now the fourth generation of the luxury sedan as part of an innovative multi-material mix. The production of aluminum is very energy intensive, however. Audi therefore manages the material in a recycling loop. This saves precious primary raw materials and helps that the cars enter the use phase with a better environmental balance. The press shops in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm use recycled aluminum for parts of the model lines Audi A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 models, and also for parts of the Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback. Other sites will follow in due course.

Audi is opening up a new chapter in its communications via digital channels. Journalists from all over the world are able to familiarize themselves with new products, explore technologies and gain exclusive insights in virtual environments. Aside from the experience aspect, dialog takes center stage. That is why the new formats such as the “Audi TechTalk” emphasize intensive interactions between media representatives and experts from Audi.

From June 15 to 25, interested high school graduates will for the first time be able to get information about apprenticeships at Audi via live stream and chat. Trainers and apprentices will provide insights into the various apprenticeship fields.

The charging process is central to the everyday usability of an electric car. The shorter the stop required for charging the higher the customer’s satisfaction. Drivers of a fully electric Audi model thus benefit from high charging speeds because the charging capacity of up to 150 kW is available for a large portion of the charging procedure. This enables sophisticated thermal management of the lithium-ion battery. In order to assess the everyday usability of an electric car, customers should take not just the nominal maximum charging capacity but also the charging speed into account.

Two months after taking office as the new CEO at Audi, Markus Duesmann is setting up a unit for the accelerated development of additional automobile models. The head of the “Artemis” high-tech project will be Alex Hitzinger, a successful motorsport chief engineer and currently in charge of autonomous driving in the Group. He will work with a team of automotive and technology experts to – as a first step – “develop a pioneering model for Audi quickly and unbureaucratically,” says Duesmann. Resources and technologies of the entire Volkswagen Group are potentially available for this. Duesmann and his Volkswagen Group colleagues also expect the “Artemis” project to provide a blueprint for the future agile development of cars throughout the Volkswagen Group.

Capgemini and Audi today announced the launch of their joint venture - XL2. Following regulatory approvals, the company was founded at the end of April. It will provide digital technology and consulting services, namely in the fields of SAP S/4HANA? and cloud services primarily for Audi and the entire Volkswagen Group. XL2 combines an agile start-up culture reinforced by two global industry-leaders. The company's goal is to expand its project business gradually and achieve a powerful workforce within the next five years.

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, Audi is intensifying its focus on digital solutions for its customers. The company and its dealerships are integrating e-commerce solutions for purchasing new and used cars in more and more markets. France is the pilot market for a new online reservation tool, and online sales of new cars from dealer stock have been launched in Germany. But virtual consulting and service offers are also continuing to gain importance.

The RS models from Audi Sport GmbH are the dynamic spearheads of their respective product lines. They have a strong character that consists of distinct design differentiation, full everyday usability, effortless top performance, and a thrilling driving experience. This results from a relentless focus on minute details by the designers and development and test engineers, and it is perfected over numerous test drives around the world. There is a behind-the-scenes look at development work.

The United Nations has declared this decade the UN Decade of Biodiversity to raise awareness of the global extinction of species and to promote measures to halt it. Audi is contributing to this effort and is implementing biodiversity projects at all sites. As a member of the Biodiversity in Good Company initiative, the company is committed to preserving biological diversity and has consolidated all activities that contribute to this effort in its Mission:Zero environmental program.

Audi is currently preparing the company’s first ever market launch of a new model in purely digital form: the new A3 family will be delivered to customers worldwide during the course of the year. About 15,000 sales and service employees as well as about 20,000 service technicians at retail partners around the globe have to be prepared and trained for this. In view of the coronavirus crisis, Audi is for the first time completely foregoing face-to-face training and instead is using a variety of digital formats ranging from web-based training to augmented reality and virtual reality training.