Audi blazes scorching trail in an era of luxury new mobility

Senior executives say premium marque poised to do even better in world's biggest car market 

A long-standing champion in China's conventional premium car segment, German carmaker Audi, is poised to blaze a new trail in the world's biggest car market in the era of new mobility, according to senior company executives.

The year 2018 marks the very beginning of an era in China that is seeing the sudden popularity of such things as new energy cars, autonomous driving and car-sharing, said Liu Yigong, general manager of FAW-Volkswagen, which is producing and selling Audi cars in China.

"Looking ahead, right at the start of a new era, we are confident and capable of taking up the challenges," said Liu at a news conference on Wednesday.

He said the joint venture would get involved from the very start of every single Audi model's development, so that they would better meet the demands of Chinese customers.

"FAW-Volkswagen is expected to release 10 new energy cars by 2020, and seven will be under the Audi brand," said Liu.

Audi is currently running a pilot project called Smart Energy Network that is designed to manage eco-electricity in a more intelligent way.

In the project, control software distributes solar power, intelligently based on the demand from car, household and heating system.

To get better prepared for the market, the joint venture has also set up a department within its Audi division that specializes in the new businesses including connectivity.

Liu expects FAW-Volkswagen to make breakthroughs in connectivity, with all Audi models becoming internet-connected by 2022, and a new joint venture dedicated to mobility and digitalized services between FAW and Audi will start operation this year.

Audi is aiming to wow Chinese customers with its leading AI technologies, with its all-new A8L sedan to hit the market later this year.

It is its first production model with Level 3, or eyes-off, autonomous driving functions.

Michael-Julius Renz, general manager of FAW-Volkswagen's Audi sales division, said when the vehicle takes over driving tasks, the car could become the destination instead of just a means of transport.

"The car in the future will become a 'third living space' alongside our homes and workplaces," he added.

He estimated that there will be 10 million users on the company's digital myAudi platform by 2025, and together with partners, Audi will offer entertainment, shopping, convenience and all sorts of services on this platform.

Renz said Audi is currently developing a standard interface for a wide variety of smart devices and is preparing web-based, vehicle-specific apps. The project is almost ready for production.

"In other words, the Audi car will become a mobile device like smartphone in the future," he said.

Renz said future urban development is also part of Audi's focus.

He said experts at Audi have been gathering with architects, traffic planners and sociologists as part of the Audi Urban Future Initiative, which is a platform for international, interdisciplinary dialogue on the future of mobility in cities.

"The goal of Audi is clearly defined: to come up with people-oriented solutions, setting up innovative new mobility services, and to optimize infrastructure planning to guarantee all road users can reach their destinations safely, efficiently and easily," Renz said.