On the second weekend in May, the Audi Sport customer racing teams impressed with top performances worldwide. Following their successes in GT and touring car racing, some customer teams are at the top of their championships.
The Premium Platform Electric (PPE), developed jointly with Porsche, is a key component for the expansion of the global portfolio of all-electric Audi models. For Audi, it represents an important step in becoming a leading provider of sustainable premium mobility. For the next generation of electric vehicles from Audi, the company has redeveloped the electric motors, the power electronics, the transmission, as well as the high-voltage battery and all related components, and tailored them exactly to the requirements of battery electric vehicles.
dense network of charging points Ingolstadt, March 18, 2024 – When designing and developing the high-voltage (HV) battery for the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), Audi prioritized both range and charging performance. Sophisticated thermal management for the battery, an 800-volt electrical system, and a wide range of efficiency measures around the new electric motors make driving and charging a carefree experience. The Audi charging service and, last but not least, the Audi charging hub fast charging network in urban environments, which is becoming increasingly dense, also contribute to this.
In New Zealand, Italy, Estonia and Thailand, numerous customer teams from Audi Sport made a good start to the 2024 season in GT and touring car racing.
2024 will be a demanding year for the Audi Group. The challenging market environment and supply bottlenecks, especially for V6 and V8 engines, had a particularly negative impact on operating profit in the first quarter of the year. The company also has to manage numerous product ramp-ups. Revenue reached €13.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, while operating profit amounted to €466 million. The operating margin was 3.4 percent. In the first three months of the year, the Brand Group Progressive delivered 402,048 automobiles to customers – a decline of 4.7 percent. The demand for fully electric models, however, increased by 3 percent. Audi registered a significant increase of 13.7 percent in China, with 156,082 models delivered.
The Four Rings opened their first Audi charging hub outside Europe on April 26, 2024. In Tokyo, the capital of Japan, drivers of electric cars of all brands can now charge at four fast-charging points, each with up to 150 kilowatts (kW) – an excellent figure for charging power in Japan. Thanks to a buffer storage unit, the Audi charging hub places low demands on the local power grid. The seventh Audi charging hub overall only uses electricity from renewable sources.
The course for Audi’s Formula 1 project continues to be set. Following the announcement of the complete takeover of the Sauber Group to accelerate preparations for the brand’s entry into F1, the first driver has now been confirmed: Nico Hülkenberg has signed a multi-year contract with Sauber and will start for the Audi factory team in 2026. He will be driving for Sauber as early as 2025 and accompany the transformation to the factory team, as the Swiss company announced today.
Following its unveiling at the Volkswagen Group Media Night on 24 April, the Lamborghini Urus SE made its world public premiere at the Auto China Beijing 2024 motor show. This new-generation Urus, the Urus SE – the first PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) luxury super SUV – features a new design; optimized aerodynamics; unprecedented on-board technologies; and a hybrid powertrain with an output of 800 CV, setting a new segment benchmark in terms of comfort, performance, efficiency, emissions and driving pleasure. The Revuelto, the first super sports V12 hybrid HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle), is also being showcased, while the Huracán Tecnica, a rear-wheel drive super sports car powered by a V10 engine, is on display in the Ad Personam room.
This week, Audi presents its program for the world's largest automotive market with an all-electric booth at Auto China 2024. Read the key statements from AUDI CEO Gernot Döllner on the company’s strategic direction in China, the new factory in Changchun, the China-only Audi Q6L e-tron, and the charging cooperation with Porsche.