CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Monday, July 26, 2021 | 17 ’s dedication to technological excellence points to greener path

Company focuses on new era of mobility following decades of motor sport success

By LI FUSHENG drive NSU Prinz series and the the aluminum compact A2 in 1999. Three years later, Audi wowed ronmentally friendly driving,” Wort- [email protected] water-cooled four-cylinder engines The A2 1.2 TDI was the first and, to fans with the market launch of the mann said. of the front-wheel drive Audi 60 and this day, the only four-door three-li- Audi e-tron GT. The brand cam- “We are redefining advancement Not many carmakers’ slogans are , to the rotary engine of the We are redefining ter car. Despite being a premium paign “Future is an Attitude” under- and focusing on sustainability, digi- as popular and long-lasting as Audi’s futuristic-looking NSU Ro 80. advancement and compact vehicle, it boasted the same lined the carmaker’s future- talization and electrification. It’s Vorsprung durch Technik, which The slogan made its first appear- technology as the luxury A8. oriented approach toward electric about making a contribution to a liv- translates as Progress through Tech- ance in an advertisement in January focusing on Audi started to show its prowess mobility. able future with meaningful tech- nology. 1971. Among other models, the Audi sustainability, at Le Mans in the early 2000s. With Audi’s enthusiasm with technolo- nology.” Now celebrating its 50th anniver- 100, Audi 100 Coupe S, and new technologies such as FSI (gaso- gy means a lot more than faster vehi- As for whether the societal push sary, the slogan has become synony- Audi 50 all represented Vorsprung digitalization and line direct injection), Turbo-FSI, cles. Sustainability became a goal in for new technologies makes it easier mous with the company for its car durch Technik, said the carmaker. electrification. It’s laser light, Ultra technology and the late 2010s. It now has a goal to for Audi to continue its advance- owners and fans around the world. The famous tagline was used even hybrids, the German premium become carbon-neutral by 2050. ment, Hoffmann said it has always For the -headquartered more frequently in advertising with about making a brand dominated the renowned “This is why Audi is consistently been the company’s prerogative not company, the slogan — first put into the introduction of the quattro tech- contribution to a long-distance race as a serial winner. dedicated to the environment, pull- to be driven by change but to be driv- use in 1971 — has been a long-stand- nology in 1980. Over the years it has The accomplishments made the ing together numerous measures for ers of change. ing source of inspiration to develop gone through rounds of evolution, livable future with years known as the “decade of Audi” resource efficiency and reducing the “In the age of new mobility, we better vehicles and a lighthouse for it including the sport quattro in 1984 meaningful in the motor sport segment. ecological footprint in its location- don’t just see advancement as the to maneuver nimbly toward success and the quattro ultra in 2016. technology.” Audi’s R8 was unveiled in 2012. As independent environmental pro- highest art of engineering, state-of- in different eras of mobility. Oliver Hoffmann, member of the the brand’s first supercar, the mass- gram ‘Mission Zero’,” said Hildegard the-art design and a digital experi- An employee called Hans Bauer board of management of Audi AG for Hildegard Wortmann, member produced model featured innovative Wortmann, member of the board of ence. We also think outside the car. came up with the slogan in 1970 to technical development, said that to of the board of management of technologies and design which had management of Audi AG for sales In the future, it will be more about communicate Audi’s technological him, quattro technology is the most Audi AG for sales and marketing been reserved for racing cars. and marketing. comprehensive mobility solutions, diversity as a competitive advantage important milestone of the compa- The Audi e-tron, which was The carmaker recently which includes the matter of infra- as a result of GmbH’s ny. unveiled in 2018, marked another announced it would stop introduc- structure. merger with Neckarsulmer NSU “Not only was it the foundation for with Audi Space Frame milestone in the history of the com- ing new models with internal com- “Audi will not rest on the techno- Motorenwerke one year earlier. our rally successes, it also represents technology in 1994, which helps us pany. bustion engines from 2026. logical advancement of the past The new company, which was the transfer of our experience from finally cement our place in the pre- It was the first fully electric Audi “We are developing into a provid- years. Audi is the most progressive called Audi NSU Auto Union, had a racing into serial production. Since mium segment,” he said. vehicle to go into serial production. It er of sustainable premium mobility premium brand because we always full range of models with cutting- then, quattro and Audi go hand-in- A number of technological break- has a driving range of more than 400 and want to be a leader here, which view the future as an opportunity edge technologies, from the air- hand,” said Hoffmann. throughs were made in following kilometers on one charge and blazed is why we are focusing our efforts to and shape it actively. ‘Vorsprung’ is a cooled engines of the rear-wheel “Equally important was the first years, from the Audi TT in 1995 to the trail for premium electric mobility. be a technological leader on envi- state of mind,” said Hoffmann.

Clockwise from left: The Audi 100 CS quattro drives up the 37.5-degree incline of the ski-jump slope in Kaipola, Finland, in 1986. The , its first high-volume serial with permanent all-wheel drive, marks Audi’s entry into manufacturer-operated motor sports and revolutionizes the company’s image. Vorsprung durch Technik, translating as Progress through Technology, is Audi’s slogan that has become synonymous with the company around the world. Audi builds its first top-range vehicle, the V8, in 1988. photos provided to china daily

Pioneering premium marque continues to innovate in Chinese market

By LI FUSHENG largest vehicle market. “For the past 33 years, Vor- in the Chinese market and speed most important premium auto The year 1999 marked another sprung has been the core spirit of up decision-making. It also aids market. Audi’s slogan Vorsprung durch milestone for Audi and beyond. Audi’s development in China, and teamwork within the In the same year, it will have at Technik, which means Progress The observant marque introduced For the past 33 years, we have been the pioneer in the Group, according to the carmaker. least five locally made electric through Technology in English, a model with an extended wheel- Vorsprung has been premium car market,” said Wern- Another pillar is its partners, models. Globally, the brand aims isn’t just about technology itself. base, the L, to offer more er Eichhorn, president of Audi FAW and SAIC. “Our strong part- to have more than 20 e-models in The tireless conquest for a bet- legroom for backseat passengers. the core spirit of China. “We will continue to make nerships are the cornerstones of its lineup. ter self it implies is equally crucial, The novelty was designed spe- Audi’s development more breakthroughs and provide Audi’s success in China and Beyond its electrification trans- as shown by the German premium cifically for the Chinese market, as top-quality products and services together we are bringing our formation, Audi has partnered carmaker’s road to success in its Chinese customers value spa- in China, and we have to our valued Chinese customers.” ‘Golden Decade’ strategy to life,” with technology giants including largest market, China, over the ciousness. In 2009, the L been the pioneer in It took 22 years, from 1988 to said Eichhorn. Alibaba and Tencent to tailor bet- past three decades. was launched in the market, as the 2010, for the marque to sell 1 mil- Audi has been producing models ter digital experiences for its local Thanks to its “In China, For Chi- first long- version of a the premium car lion vehicles in the country, but with FAW since 1988. This year, customers, who on average are na” strategy, Audi has delivered 7 premium car in the upper-midsize market.” their sales grew exponentially their joint venture, FAW-Volkswag- almost 20 years younger than million vehicles bearing the four- class. from 2010 to 2021 to total 7 mil- en, will produce 12 Audi models. those in Europe. ring logo to Chinese customers, The extended wheelbase later Werner Eichhorn, president of lion units. Another cooperation enterprise Audi is also doing its part to Audi China sitting atop the list of premium became almost a must for premi- Audi has charted the course for with FAW is scheduled to produce support China in achieving its marques available in the country. um carmakers and even volume the brand’s golden decade from electric cars based on the PPE goal to reach peak CO2 emissions This is one of many firsts Audi brands selling vehicles in China. this new starting point. platform Audi co-developed with before 2030 and achieve carbon has taken home in China. It was Its innovations are not limited ing, connectivity, digitalization A pillar of the strategy is its gov- Porsche from 2024. neutrality by 2060. the first premium carmaker to to products. In 2000, the first Audi and design. ernance structure. Audi CEO SAIC has unveiled its first Audi Together with its two joint ven- enter the Chinese market and the showroom was established in Bei- Audi China’s R&D staff work to Markus Duesmann is the only top model, the A7 L, which is expected tures, Audi said it is continually first to produce vehicles locally, jing and Audi introduced the glob- ensure that innovations and tech- executive of a premium carmaker to hit the market in 2022. increasing energy efficiency in the with the Audi 100 rolling off the al-standard service system into nology trends from Asia flow into to oversee its China business. Audi estimates that annual context of energy management assembly line in Changchun, Jilin China, also a pioneer for China’s the carmaker’s global concept He is only the second to do so in sales of premium vehicles could and expanding the supply of province, in 1988. auto market. products, thus deepening its com- the auto industry. The first was reach 4 to 5 million units by 2030, renewable energies at production The model, together with the In 2013, Audi established its mitment to “In China, For China”. Herbert Diess, CEO of Audi’s par- of which 40 to 50 percent will be sites. Audi 200, heralded the first chap- Chinese R&D center. The facility This dedication, underlined by ent company Volkswagen AG. new energy vehicles. It is also purchasing renewable ter of the German carmaker’s develops solutions for the premi- its products and services, has This governance structure The carmaker expects to sell 1 energies and offsetting currently exciting success story in the coun- um segment in such fields as new helped promote Audi’s progress in allows executives in Germany to million vehicles a year by 2025 at unavoidable CO2 emissions try that later became the world’s energy vehicles, autonomous driv- China. learn faster about developments the latest in China, the world’s through compensation projects.

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