“The year 2021 was challenging, but with our worldwide team’s engaged effort, we very successfully overcame them,” says Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. “We’re looking to the future with confidence. With ‘Vorsprung 2030,’ we have defined a clear strategy – our courage to make lasting changes is being rewarded: high demand for electric vehicles from Audi confirms our early decision in favor of zero-emission drive systems. We are taking this momentum with us into 2022 and systematically pressing ahead with our transformation. The large number of incoming orders also shows that we have the right portfolio.”

After the first half of 2021, Audi was on track to break records: the 981,681 delivered vehicles were a new best in company history. Then the persistent semiconductor shortage took effect in the second half of the year. As a result, deliveries dropped In the fourth quarter by 34.2 percent over the same period in the previous year.

However, the curve for deliveries of fully electric models continues to go up. In 2021, Audi sold 81,894 fully electric models – an increase of 57.5 percent. By 2025, Audi plans to have more than 20 fully electric models in its portfolio. Starting in 2026, the brand will exclusively bring new fully electric models to the market.

Audi set a strong example with the presentation of the Audi e-tron GT and the Audi RS e-tron GT at the start of the year. In particular, the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron also play a central role in the electrification strategy of the company with the four rings. With these four new models, Audi has more than doubled its product portfolio of fully electric models in the past year.

The company’s clear commitment to electric mobility is also apparent in its capital expenditure planning: based on plans approved at the end of 2021, Audi will spend about €18 billion on electrification and hybridization between 2022 and 2026. With total investments of around €37 billion, that means that almost half will go toward these two forward-looking fields.

Alongside the fully electric models within the overall range of models, the Audi Q3 (+19.2 percent), Audi A5 (+8.3 percent), and Audi A7 (+9.2 percent) in particular saw large increases. The SUV segment was highly sought after: the Audi Q5 (+5.3 percent) and the Audi Q7 (+5.3 percent) also gained. The high performance models from Audi Sport once again exceeded the previous year and set a new record with 39,356 vehicles sold (+34.2 percent)

In China, Audi ended 2021 with 701,289 vehicles delivered and a decline of 3.6 percent. After a record-breaking 2020, the fourth quarter was particularly marked by the semiconductor shortage for locally produced vehicles. Imported Audi models (+53 percent) recorded a significant increase in demand. The Audi A5 (+96.7 percent), Audi Q7 (+74.4 percent), and the fully electric Audi e-tron (+68.7 percent) showed particularly positive development. Additionally, sales of Audi Sport models more than doubled (+113.4 percent) over 2020, the previous year.

In the US, Audi actually exceeded the previous year: 196,038 vehicles meant an increase of 5.0 percent. Audi recorded a record year for fully electric cars here: with an increase of 52.5 percent over the previous year, Audi sold more fully electric models in the US than ever before, including the Audi e-tron GT, which has been on the market since July 2021. The Audi e-tron also increased significantly with +34.6 percent. The SUV segment had persistently high demand, with the Audi Q3 (+26.5 percent) and the Audi Q5 (+19.6 percent) at the top. With 7,796 delivered models and growth of 60.5 percent, Audi Sport models also set a new record in the US. In Canada, the number of delivered vehicles increased by 11.2 percent.

In Europe, AUDI AG approximated the previous year’s level with 617,048 delivered vehicles (-0.4 percent). The Audi A3 (+3.6 percent), Audi Q3 (+5.6 percent), Audi Q5 (+18.6 percent), and Audi Q8 (+1.8 percent) recorded growing demand. The company achieved significant growth in France (+10.2 percent), Italy (+9.9 percent), and the United Kingdom (+9.4 percent), among others. It set new records in Denmark and Norway, partly because of the electric models that were particularly popular there. Overall, 31 European markets were higher than the previous year. In Germany, the brand with the four rings shipped 180,883 vehicles to customers (-15.6 percent). Along with the semiconductor shortage, the effects of the reduction in the value-added tax in the second half of 2020 were also noticeable here. The Audi e-tron continued to show particularly positive growth in the company’s domestic market with an increase of 10.3 percent.

In the other markets worldwide, the company with the four rings increased deliveries by 3.1 percent over the previous year to 137.347 cars. Electric models showed a very positive trend here as well, with an increase of 89.6 percent.

“Although the semiconductor supply will continue to be strained in the coming months, the strong growth in electric model deliveries gives us a tailwind to stick unflinchingly to our roadmap,” says Hildegard Wortmann. “The high volume of incoming orders as well as the highest order backlog ever show that we have the right portfolio.”

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

For Audi Sport customer racing, the model has been a successful basis of its global customer racing program since the end of 2016. “This title reflects the commitment of our customers in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “Our thanks and congratulations go to them because only they made this success possible.”

While customers around the world still relied on the first generation of the production-based racing touring car, Audi Sport introduced the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II in the 2021 season and entered it in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup together with Comtoyou Racing. If all vehicle entries worldwide are added up, the figure comes to 842 individual starts last year. In the process, the teams clinched 259 podium places in 344 races, including 86 victories. Since 2017, Audi Sport customer racing customers have achieved a total of 72 title successes in various series with the up to 250 kW (340 hp) touring car, including 18 in the past season alone.

The homologation of the first generation will be retained so that customer teams can continue to use this race car in the future. At the same time, the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II is to increasingly contribute to the great track record of the entire model line from 2022. After Audi Sport customer racing started production of the new race car in October, 23 units have already been delivered to customer teams by the end of 2021.

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With the pilot location, Audi is road-testing its new charging concept for the first time. “We want to use it to test flexible and premium-oriented quick-charging infrastructure in urban space,” says Ralph Hollmig, Audi charging hub project manager. “We’re going where our customers don’t necessarily wake up in the morning with a fully charged electric car and at the same time thinking about increasing charging demand in the future.”

Self-sufficient and affordable charging infrastructure

Cubes are the foundation of the Audi charging hub. The flexible container cubes can be assembled and disassembled again in existing areas in a few days. The cubes provide two fast-charging stations for each unit and can be combined in various constellations. Used and processed lithium ion batteries function as energy storage systems – what are known as second-life batteries taken from dismantled development vehicles. That reduces costs and resources. This makes complex infrastructure with high-voltage power lines and expensive transformers as unnecessary as time-consuming planning procedures. The Audi charging hub's battery-storage solution will bring quick-charging infrastructure where the electric grid is not enough.

Thanks to the roughly 2.45 MWh of interim storage, the charging stations in Nuremberg only need a 200 kW green power connection to the low-voltage network that is already available, which is entirely sufficient for operating the Audi charging hub. The 200 kW are enough to continually fill the storage modules. Solar panels on the roof additionally provide up to 30 kW of green energy. Customers can charge electric cars with up to 320 kW of power at six charging points. A total of about 80 vehicles can be charged here per day without reaching the limits of the energy storage system’s capacity combined with the hub’s 200 kW power input.

The Audi e-tron GT reaches a charging capacity of up to 270 kW. That allows the four-door Coupé to charge enough energy for up to 100 kilometers in about five minutes. A charge from 5 to 80 percent takes roughly 23 minutes.

Prices like the Wallbox at home

Currently, anyone who chooses to use the high-power charging stations at the Audi charging hub in Nuremberg and have an e-tron Charging Service contract can charge for 31 cents per kilowatt hour, regardless of the rate. That makes the Audi charging hub a real alternative to charging at home. “We’re providing people in urban areas with charging at the price they would pay to charge using the Wallbox at home,” says Hollmig. The Audi charging hub in Nuremberg is an open charging site. The entrance area is even accessible for drivers of cars of other makes. 

Fast and uncomplicated charging

Audi customers can use the new reservation function in the myAudi app: they can easily book one of the six charging areas. Charging itself is quick and uncomplicated. With Plug and Charge (PnC), it is even possible to charge models with Plug and Charge functionality without an RFID (radio frequency identification) card at two of the six charging points during the pilot phase. The authentication process takes place automatically via encrypted communication as soon as the charging cable is connected to the vehicle. To use this system, drivers must have a PnC-capable model of the Audi e-tron series (Audi e-tron 50/55/S incl. Sportback derivatives with production date after calendar week 48/2021) and an active e-tron Charging Service contract. Customers can spend the 20- to 30-minutes it takes to charge up to 80 percent charging volume – for instance with an Audi e-tron or e-tron GT – in the upstairs lounge.

Attractive service offerings enhance charging time

The tests that are starting in Nuremberg focus on the new reservation function, customers’ expectations of a premium charging experience, and technical aspects like the requirements for modern battery storage systems. Audi also wants to determine which times of day the facility is particularly frequently used. The goal is to establish the Audi charging hub with appropriate added value for customers. To that end, Audi is offering additional attractive services on-site beyond charging electric cars: an exchange station for electric bike batteries, an electric scooter lending service, information about various Audi products, as well as test drives in theAudi Q4 e-tron and RS e-tron GT, supervised by Audi experts. Additionally, Audi offers a just-in-time delivery service for food, an upscale automat, and mobile car care.

Service staff look after customers In the roughly 200 square meter (2,153 sq. ft.) barrier-free lounge, which also includes a 40 square meter (431 sq. ft.) patio, users’ wellbeing takes center stage. There they can work and relax. On a 98 inch screen, Audi models can be configured or information about the Audi charging hub’s functionality or a car's current charge level can be retrieved.

During the pilot project in Nuremberg, an employee will attend to visitors’ wishes between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Six charging points and a lounge are available around the clock. “Our customers will share multiple benefits,” says project manager Hollmig. “With an exclusive reservation option, a lounge area, short idle time thanks to high charging capacity, and a novel swivel arm to simplify handling the charging cable.”

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The 2021 season began with a world premiere: On February 5, Audi Sport customer racing presented the second generation of the RS 3 LMS, whose predecessor with 180 units is still the brand’s most successful racing model within a single vehicle generation. On June 11, the Audi R8 LMS GT3 set a record with the 138th example of the second generation. It overtook the predecessor model, which was produced 137 times. And in December 2021, the 400th GT sports car in total for motorsport left the factory hall in Biberach at Audi’s Neckarsulm site. In addition to the successful GT3 models, this count also includes the near-production GT4 sports car, which has now been produced 100 times, and the GT2 variant. With the start of production of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II, which debuted in July, and the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II, Audi Sport customer racing has realized two model launches in 2021. These figures prove how firmly the Audi Sport brand is anchored in global customer racing. The unit sales and market shares underscore that the GT sports cars and the touring cars with the four rings are among the most popular products in global competition. At the same time, the successes in motorsport have a positive impact on the production cars that form the basis of all four race cars from Audi Sport customer racing.

The program’s sporting record is equally positive: Customers have won a total of 58 titles in the 2021 season to date on the four continents of America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Further title decisions for this season will be made by February 2022. “Our thanks go to the many dedicated and loyal customer teams that run our race cars from Canada to South America, throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “They are the backbone of the program and the guarantors of our sporting successes.”

Outstanding championship results in GT3 racing include five title victories by Team WRT in the European and two more by MPC in the Australian offshoot of the Fanatec GT World Challenge. Also noteworthy are the ADAC GT Masters title win by Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, first place by Audi Sport Italia in the Sprint and Endurance Championships in Italy and the title victory of Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute in Chinese endurance racing. A total of 27 titles – from driver championships to team and junior classifications – went to the GT3 model with the four rings. Over the course of 246 races, the sports car has achieved 198 podium finishes worldwide, including 79 victories. Two endurance successes stand out from the balance: the overall success of Audi Sport Team Saintéloc at the Indianapolis 8 Hour in October – a round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge – and of Team Rutronik Racing by TECE at the Sebring 24 Hours, the finale of the 24H Series in November.

In the young category of GT2 racing, the Audi R8 LMS GT2 also recorded top results straight away. The driver and team titles in GT America went to GMG Racing. In the Pro-Am classification of the GT2 European Series, High Class Racing prevailed. The year’s tally includes 13 victories and a total of 20 podium places in 16 races, cementing Audi’s reputation as a competent supplier in the broad world of GT racing.

The GT4 version of the Audi R8 LMS was more popular than ever before especially in European racing series. In addition to ten championship titles, the production-based model contributed significantly to the track record with 99 podium finishes worldwide, including 43 victories, in 199 races. Notable among these was Saintéloc Racing’s fourth GT4 title in a row, this time in the GT4 European Series. The all-female Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing team recorded a 24-hour class victory at the Nürburgring this year.

Audi remains top in touring car racing as well: The first generation of the entry-level RS 3 LMS showed top form with 17 titles. Among others, Audi won the TCR New Zealand with Track Tec Racing and the TCR Australia with MPC Bostik Racing for the first time. The successor model also won its first laurels when Comtoyou Team Audi Sport won the Trophy classification in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup. Both model generations together achieved 86 victories and a total of 258 podium places in 342 races this year. For the sixth time since 2017, a customer team also won a 24-hour race with an RS 3 LMS: the class victory at Sebring went to the Belgian private team AC Motorsport.

For the fourth year in succession, the world’s only Audi one-make cup rounds off the motorsport program. Rüdiger Seyffarth organizes and promotes the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup. For the second time, Robin Rogalski emerged as the best driver from the competition with identical race cars. 17 different drivers collected points in three classifications over the course of ten races at the wheel of the production-based Audi R8 LMS GT4.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com