For Ratinho Junior, Governor of the state of Paraná, “the announcement that Audi will resume production in the São José dos Pinhais plant is the high point of a positive trend in the state of Paraná. The state is quickly recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic with a rapidly growing economy and employment. We are proud to be Audi’s home in South America. Because of that, we have achieved a lot in recent decades.”

Johannes Roscheck, Managing Director and CEO of Audi do Brasil, says, “We are happy to be able to announce that production will resume in the São José dos Pinhais plant, the only Audi factory in South America. Even in difficult times, the company has always worked to make national manufacturing possible because we believe in Brazil’s potential and, at the same time, we want our customers’ faith in the brand to grow.”

The Audi Q3, with a 2.0 Liter TFSI engine in both chassis variants, will be produced on the same assembly line where the previous generation of the SUV was built in 2019.

Electrification strategy: ultra-fast charging stations

Along with confirming local production, Audi do Brasil and its dealerships also took the opportunity to make a second announcement: it was about the electrification strategy in Brazil. Audi and its dealers have joined forces to expand Brazil’s ultra-fast charging station infrastructure.

Starting in 2022, more than R$20 million are to be invested to install 150 kW DC charging stations in almost every Audi dealership in Brazil. These charging stations will be used to charge, for instance, the fully electric Audi e-tron from 0% to 80% in less than 25 minutes.

The history of local production

The history of Audi production in Brazil began in 1999 with the dedication of the São José dos Pinhais plant in Paraná, where the first generation of the Audi A3 was produced until 2006.

In 2012, the Brazilian government created Inovar-Auto, a subsidy program for technological innovation and strengthening the production chain for motor vehicles. Consequently, Audi do Brasil decided to manufacture in Brazil again. The company invested around €150 million in the Paraná plant for that purpose.

Production began in 2015 with the A3 Sedan – the only Audi model in the world with a flex-fuel engine to date. It runs on either gasoline, ethanol, or both fuels together. In 2016, production was expanded to include the Audi Q3. The SUV was built until 2019, when its life cycle came to an end. Production of the Audi A3 Sedan was likewise discontinued with the end of its life cycle in 2020.

After a hiatus of a bit more than a year from late 2020 until mid-2022, Audi will manufacture two models in the Paraná plant again: the new Audi Q3 and the Audi Q3 Sportback.

The Brazilian Audi Q3 and Audi Q3 Sportback

The Brazilian Audi Q3 and Audi Q3 Sportback will be equipped with the reliable 4 cylinder gas engine 2.0 TFSI with direct injection and turbocharging, which provides 350 Nm of torque and 231 PS of power. For the first time, Audi will build a model in Brazil with quattro technology, a transverse engine, and eight-step tiptronic that enables smooth, fast gear shifts.

The Audi Q3 has become the gold standard in its segment since it was introduced in February 2020. It became the best-selling Audi in Brazil in its very first year. Both versions embody the Q series’ new design language. It was initially presented in Brazil with the Audi Q8, a completely new brand model. A highlight in the front view is the singleframe with an octagon design.

The interior design follows the trend of Audi’s top models. Like the A6, A7, and Q8, the new Audi Q3 is equipped with the new MMI concept, in which the 8.8 inch touchscreen is ergonomically integrated into the instrument panel and tilted ten degrees toward the driver. Shift paddles on the steering wheel make it possible to change driving modes manually.

The spatial layout inside the Audi Q3 is highly variable. The rear seats can be moved forward 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) in the Q3 and 130 millimeters (5.1 inches) in the Q3 Sportback as standard equipment.

The luggage compartment carries 530 liters (18.7 cubic feet) in both chassis variants, making it the highest volume in this class. Folding down the seat backs increases that capacity to 1,525 liters (53.9 cubic feet) in the Q3 and 1,400 liters (49.5 cubic feet) in the Q3 Sportback.

“After electromobility, the next, clearly more radical change is the transition to more intelligent and, ultimately, autonomous vehicles,” says Markus Duesmann, CEO of AUDI AG. “For us, autonomous driving is a key technology that can make traffic safer and mobility more comfortable and inclusive.” With the Volkswagen Group’s software company CARIAD, Audi is driving the introduction of that technology forward in the second half of this decade at full speed.

Both the technological maturity of the driving systems and the social dimension are very important for autonomous driving to gain broad acceptance: apart from the general legal and political conditions, people’s attitudes are critical for new technologies like autonomous driving to catch on. Nineteen scientific, policy, and economic experts discussed central issues concerning the future of autonomous driving; the results have now been published by the &Audi Initiative in the roughly 70-page “SocAIty” study.

An image of the future in 2030: The mobility landscape is becoming more diverse, compartmentalized, and inclusive

The study addresses three focal points: the chapter “Law and progress” deals with, among other things, current questions about liability, while “Relationships of trust between human and machine” looks at the ethical dimension of autonomous driving, and “Networked security” addresses the relevant data protection and security aspects.

“All in all, the result is an image of a mobility landscape that will look different in 2030 from what it looks like today, but will manage without science fiction,” says Saskia Lexen, Project Manager for the &Audi Initiative at AUDI AG. “So Audi wants to establish appropriate expectations for the possibilities and limits of technology in society and to create trust.”

One central insight of the study is that the mobility landscape in 2030 will be more diverse and compartmentalized and will produce more mobility solutions that are suited to their goals. Additionally, diversity of forms of micromobility will increase, particularly in cities. Demand will also increasingly be determined by the person’s location. Similar needs increasingly prevail in large cities: places like New York, London, and Shanghai have comparable basic conditions and needs with respect to mobility, flexibility, and customer expectations. Most of the experts see the US as a driving force behind the technology of autonomous driving. Not all new technologies will necessarily be primarily developed there, but they will be put on the road with the help of capital and expertise. „The US often takes on the role of incubator; it breaks new ground early on. In China, on the other hand, new technology is often quickly rolled out and scaled across the board”, says Uta Karen Klawitter, Head of General Counsel Legal Services at AUDI AG.

China is seen as a trailblazer in scaling and widespread technology penetration. The reasons for this include a determined expansion of infrastructure and a high degree of social appreciation for new technologies. In the experts’ opinion, Germany and Europe will primarily be innovation sites for vehicle technologies and high-volume production, in addition to playing an important role as sales markets in ten years. As a result, European consumer rights and data protection regulations will impact global conditions and product standards for the entire industry.

Acceptance largely depends on personal experience

In 2030, mobility will be heavily characterized by a new kind of mixed traffic, in which autonomous vehicles will encounter vehicles driven by people. Road users will gradually adapt and will have to learn new rules. The prognosis: for this significant cultural shift, people will need time to establish a good trusting relationship with autonomous driving. „Only the increase we expect to see in comfort, safety and availability will sufficiently justify acceptance and confidence in the new technology”, says expert Hiltrud Werner, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs, Volkswagen AG.

Apart from the potential for more efficient and therefore also more ecologically sustainable traffic, networked and data-driven mobility concepts can also have an enormous social impact. That includes new services that are oriented to human needs and, ideally, lead to a new form of more inclusive and more social mobility. „It is also about better access to mobility. Because mobility is the key in getting access to jobs, medical care, to clean food and so forth”, adds expert Huei Peng, Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Director of Mcity, University of Michigan.

Accident and risk avoidance, not artificial thought experiments

„Who do we prioritize avoiding? If this is how we keep setting the agenda, we’re not going to get very far”, points out Christoph Lütge, Director of the Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence at the Technical University of Munich. Contending with dilemmas in accident situations is inevitable for understanding the ethical aspects of autonomous driving. However, the discussion is often emotional and, from the perspective of some experts, ideologized based on safety-related and ethical considerations.

For that reason, the experts agree that the next important step consists of clearly defining ethical foundations based on realistic situations and taking up actual challenges and questions that companies and legislators have to contend with.

About the &Audi Initiative

Audi created the &Audi Initiative in 2015. The auto manufacturer wants to use the Initiative to stimulate interdisciplinary exchange about new technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous driving. Additionally, it is intended to support positive acceptance of new technologies over the long term and establish appropriate expectations regarding the possibilities and limits in society. With the current “SocAIty” study, the &Audi Initiative’s objective was to contribute to public debate around autonomous driving and its responsible application in the mobility of the future.

Around 5,300 spot welds are required to join the parts that make up the body of an Audi A6. Up until now, production staff use ultrasound to manually monitor the quality of resistance spot welding (abbreviated WPS in German) processes on the basis of random analyses. However, experts from the fields of manufacturing, innovation management, digitalization planning, and IT are currently testing a much smarter way of determining the quality of spot welds at the Neckarsulm site. As part of the “WPS Analytics” pilot project, the team led by Mathias Mayer and Andreas Rieker is using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect quality anomalies automatically and in real time.

Michael Haeffner, Head of Delivery Management Digitalization for Production and Logistics at AUDI AG, is satisfied with the projects at the site: “As a pilot plant for digital production and logistics at the Volkswagen Group, our goal is to test and develop digital solutions for vehicle manufacturing right through to their use in series production. With the use of AI, we are testing an important key technology here that will make Audi and the location fit for the future.”

The underlying algorithm, its graphical user interface (dashboard), and an application for more in-depth quality analyses are currently being piloted in Audi A6/A7 car body manufacturing at the Neckarsulm site. The aim of the project is for the algorithm to evaluate close to 100 percent of the set welding points during body manufacturing in the future. The long-term vision is that in the future, the quality of welding processes can be controlled automatically and continuously optimized.

Mathias Mayer has already been working on the use of AI in Audi production for five years and views the use of “WPS Analytics” as an exciting opportunity: “The algorithm serves as a blueprint for further applications in connected manufacturing. In addition, it allows us to make advancements to existing digital solutions, such as predictive maintenance.”

Rollout of the solution planned across the Volkswagen Group

Audi is taking the lead in advancing this promising use case as part of the Volkswagen Group’s Industrial Cloud. This system brings together production data from the group’s factories around the world in a single, powerful digital platform. The primary objective is to increase efficiency and cut costs. Each connected site can download applications for its machines, tools, and systems directly from the Industrial Cloud (similar to an app store) and thereby manufacture its products even more efficiently. Once the “WPS Analytics” algorithm and dashboard have been successfully deployed in Neckarsulm, the plan is to roll them out to numerous factories across the group. The first synergies have already been achieved, as colleagues at the Volkswagen factory in Emden are also relying on algorithm-controlled optimization for resistance spot welding – with the lessons learned from both projects flowing into the Industrial Cloud across all sites.

Another application that uses an algorithm to make processes in Audi production more efficient is scheduled to be deployed in series production at the Ingolstadt press plant at the beginning of next year – in this case, artificial intelligence will be used to detect quality defects such as small cracks in the car body. This project also serves as a use case for the Automotive Initiative 2025 (AI25). Audi's ultimate goal is to make production and logistics more flexible and efficient through digitalization. Innovative technologies are already helping employees and relieving them of strenuous physical tasks and monotonous manual tasks.

E-mobility’s success is highly dependent on the charging infrastructure, which is why IONITY, Europe’s largest open high-power charging (HPC) network located in 24 countries, is investing 700 million euros in its fast-charging network for electric vehicles. The joint venture in which Audi has a stake will increase the number of high-performance 350 kW charging points from more than 1,500 at present to around 7,000 by 2025. In addition, they are no longer being built only along freeways, but also near major cities and along busy main roads. As a result, the number of charging locations is also increasing significantly – from just under 400 at present to more than 1,000.

In addition, IONITY plans to expand many of the existing locations – depending on their utilization levels. New sites will be designed with six to twelve charging points right from the beginning. This significantly reduces charging and waiting times for users. In addition, the company plans to acquire more of its own land in order to build and operate service stations. Through covered charging stations or complete charging facilities including dining options and stores, IONITY wants to significantly enhance the customer experience.

Massive expansion by IONITY makes e-mobility even more attractive

“We are transitioning our product range to electric cars in all of our core segments. This is a major change, but I see it as an even greater opportunity,” said Markus Duesmann, chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. The success of e-mobility heavily depends on an extensive charging infrastructure, he added.

“More than ever before, it isn’t just the product that matters, but the entire ecosystem. With its focus on advancing and improving the charging network offering, IONITY’s massive expansion will play a key role in making electric vehicles more attractive.” Audi is planning a broad-based EV rollout with more than 20 all-electric models by 2025. Starting in 2026, the brand will only launch new, innovative all-electric models.

IONITY is the cornerstone of the e-tron Charging Service

Audi is a founding member of IONITY and has been a joint venture partner from the very beginning. IONITY’s network of fast-charging stations located throughout Europe is a cornerstone of the e-tron Charging Service, Audi’s own charging service. Using just one charging card, this service currently offers access to more than 280,000 charging points in 26 European countries. In this context, users benefit from preferential terms when using the IONITY network – charging costs only 31 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is roughly equivalent to the cost of charging at home in Germany.

Plug & Charge: Audi makes charging possible without an RFID card or app

Starting in December 2021, Audi will be offering a particularly premium form of charging exclusively on the IONITY network known as “Plug & Charge” (PnC). This refers to the ability to easily and securely charge an EV without an RFID (radio frequency identification) card or even an app. The authentication process takes place automatically at compatible charging stations via encrypted communication as soon as the charging cable is connected to the vehicle. Then the charging process also starts. And finally, billing is handled automatically on the basis of a contract on file. To use this system, drivers must have a PnC-capable Audi e-tron model (a new model with production date after calendar week 48/2021) and an active e-tron Charging Service contract. Users only need to activate the PnC feature in the myAudi app and in the MMI of their Audi e-tron.

IONITY network charges exclusively using green power

IONITY is a joint venture between the automobile manufacturers the BMW Group, the Ford Motor Company, the Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes Benz AG, and the Volkswagen Group with its brands Audi and Porsche. For the first time, IONITY shareholders include a company from outside the automotive sector, the financial investor BlackRock*. BlackRock, headquartered in New York, operates globally and, through its Global Renewable Power platform, invests specifically in sustainable industries and companies with the highest possible growth potential. IONITY builds and operates an HPC network along European freeways with state-of-the-art technology and a charging capacity of up to 350 kW. This allows EV drivers to benefit from maximum charging speeds during their stopovers. As a sign of the company’s commitment to sustainability, customers charge their vehicles at all IONITY charging stations using completely renewable energy, making emission-free and carbon-neutral driving possible.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com