The Audi RS Q e-tron, with which Audi clinched four stage victories in January, was just one of the stars on the icy course in Zell am See. Audi Tradition also brought along the Audi quattro A2 Group B rally car, which competed in the 1983 Rally Finland. In addition, a DKW F 91 and a DKW Hartmann Formula V caused quite a stir.

For Ken Block, the weekend trip to Europe was like a visit to automotive paradise. “The laps in the Audi RS Q e-tron were a phenomenal experience – even though the car probably feels more comfortable in the desert than in the snow,” said Ken Block. “Thanks to Mattias Ekström, who patiently explained all the special features of his car to me. A few minutes behind the wheel was enough to understand the fascination of this car.”

Mattias Ekström was impressed. “It only took three turns for Ken to get fully up to speed,” said the Swede, who, with ninth place, was the most successful Audi driver in the 2022 Dakar Rally. For Ekström, the event in Austria was also the perfect preparation for his participation in the prestigious “Race of Champions”, which was held in the north of Sweden last weekend. Ekström only had to admit defeat to the eventual winner Sébastien Loeb in the semifinals.

In addition to testing the Audi RS Q e-tron, Ken Block also took a little trip down memory lane and drifted around the circuit in the Audi quattro A2. For the American, who was inspired by Audi rally cars as a teenager, this was a personal highlight: “An insane moment that I won’t forget in a hurry.” Soon there will be even more moments like this: With the purely electric Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which Audi developed as a one-off exclusively for Ken Block and which was inspired by the Audi Sport quattro S1, the Hoonigan team is producing a video entitled “Electrikhana” that will be released in the next few months and will be the latest chapter of their “Gymkhana” series.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

“We view fleet-wide CO2 emissions as a strong indicator of our successful electrification efforts,” said Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. “Clearly exceeding our targets is further proof that we are on the right strategic path with our systematic focus on delivering the sustainable premium mobility of the future. We continue to set a fast pace on our transformation.”

Strong year for all-electric vehicles

The significant increase in deliveries of all-electric models had a particularly positive impact on the fleet-wide value – 42,991 vehicles sold in the EU, Norway, and Iceland in 2021 was equal to a year-over-year increase of 49.8 percent. The Audi e-tron (including Sportback) is the best-selling all-electric premium SUV in Europe. Audi more than doubled its range of all-electric vehicles last year, adding four new models – the Audi e-tron GT, Audi RS e-tron GT, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron – to the lineup.

By 2025, Audi plans to have more than 20 fully electric models in its portfolio. Starting in 2026, the brand will only introduce new all-electric models. The company’s clear commitment to e-mobility is also evident in its investment planning, as Audi intends to spend around 18 billion euros on electrification and hybridization between 2022 and 2026, based on the planning round approved at the end of 2021. With total investments of around 37 billion euros, this means that nearly half of its outlays are earmarked for these forward-looking fields.

The fleet-wide value was calculated on the basis of newly registered vehicles in the 27 countries of the EU plus Norway and Iceland. Final confirmation of the CO2 emission values by the EU Commission will take place at a later date.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

Visitors and customers have been able to explore the Audi location through factory visits since 2011. There is still a lot of interest in experiencing e-tron production, says Peter D’hoore, Spokesperson for Audi Brussels. “We still get a lot of inquiries. AudiStream makes it possible to meet that desire, even if on-site tours are currently impossible due to the coronavirus.”

Video recordings as a guide through the factory premises

The stream had hardly started when a virtual guide received an online visitor: “Hello, dear viewer! Welcome, herzlich willkommen, hartelijk welkom, and bienvenue to AudiStream! My name is Birgit Peters and I'd like to invite you to Brussels today. The company with the four rings has an exciting location there. On behalf of all the employees, I will be showing you the factory where Audi’s first fully electric series model has been produced since 2018.” Video recordings then guide visitors across the Belgian factory grounds. The factory has had an eventful history since it was founded in 1949. This location reached a new milestone in November 2021 when it produced its eight millionth car, an Audi e-tron. In January 2022, Audi Brussels won the 2021 Industrial Excellence Award Belgium.

The central theme of the tour is the factory’s transformation from producing combustion engines to specializing in electric drive systems: “When the last A1 left our halls in 2018, we could only guess what kinds of challenges were headed our way. We, the Audi factory in the unofficial capital of Europe, were suddenly pioneers in electric mobility.” Audi rebuilt the entire factory for that and prepared its employees with hundreds of thousands of hours of advanced training on production of the new kind of drive system. Viewers can now marvel at the location’s modernization in fast forward.

Exclusive views into Audi e-tron production

The tour then takes viewers into the world of e-tron production – from the body to the paint shop to final assembly. For instance, in body construction, they experience how people and robots work harmoniously together and provide perfect welding, soldering, and bonding. In final assembly, streaming guests can see how over 1,000 parts are assembled on a belt that is more than a kilometer long. That is followed by a look at the mechanics, where the powertrain and the battery come together. Lastly, there is the final quality test, when all the functions and gap dimensions are checked again.

For its look at production, Audi Brussels has saved its high-voltage battery manufacturing facility – the location’s showpiece and unique feature – for the finale. Each battery’s seals, electric functions, and, of course, power are checked.

Contribution to climate protection: Audi Brussels’ sustainability

Production of the entire series in this factory is carbon neutral. Audi Brussels has already been repeatedly honored for that. The location is particularly proud of its solar power system, which covers more than 107,000 square meters (1,151,738 sq. ft.). That makes it one of the largest solar power systems in greater Brussels: each year, it saves Audi Brussels around 1,900 tons of CO2 and generates over 9,000 megawatt hours of electricity – enough to supply about 2,500 households with electricity for a year.

Consequently, the factory in Brussels is not only a pioneer and a model for electromobility, but also a pioneer in sustainability. Starting now, anyone who is interested can see for themselves and take a virtual tour via AudiStream or www.audibrussels.be.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

New impetus for future HR understanding

With a Top Employers Score of 82 percent and good to very good results in every assessment category, AUDI AG clearly exceeds the required 60 percent minimum for certification as a Top Employer. With that, the company with the four rings came off even better this year than last.

“This award for our HR organization is highly valued. For us, it confirms that we are on the right path with our HR transformation. That is how we at Audi are creating the best working conditions for our employees and will score points with top talent in the future as well,” Audi Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources Sabine Maassen points out.

This certification is more than an award. Its findings are an important impetus for Audi to continue developing its understanding of HR. As such, those findings are contributing to future employer attractiveness.

Staffing organization even better this year

Audi received a particularly high rating in the field of Digital HR. For example, an internal HR digitization strategy is creating the framework for all digital HR matters, like an HR app for employees that already has more than 40,000 users. According to the Institute, Audi’s understanding of Diversity & Inclusion, which the company’s in-house diversity department and others have effectively supported for several years through various initiatives, creates attractive working conditions. Additionally, Audi’s HR organization gained points in the Engagement category. Employees have the opportunity to give feedback and thereby actively participate, for instance in optimizing processes. With the help of regular employee surveys, Audi is elevating its employees’ satisfaction with the HR division’s offerings.

“Moreover, the new employer brand identity ‘We are progress’ shows that the employees at Audi are also actively helping to shape the transformation,” says Florian Husmann, who works in the HR Strategy department and is also Audi’s Top Employer certification coordinator. He says that the campaign had a positive effect on the evaluation – and was the reason why Audi was able to elevate its assessment over the previous year.

Companies’ attractiveness as employers is certified based on uniform standards that are updated annually – best practices that cover the entire HR organization and adjacent departments. Before the Top Employers Institute chooses companies, they are audited with the help of about 350 requirements.