“Now we need to create the iconic cars of the future.“

Wortmann: We are consistently and successfully pursuing our Roadmap E. With 118,196 fully electric Audi models, we set a new delivery record last year – an increase of over 44 percent compared with 2021. And I am confident that this trend will continue. Demand for the e‑tron GT and Q4 e‑tron model series is strong. We can see from current pre-orders that the new Audi Q8 e-tron family is being very well received, too. This model was launched recently on the European market a few weeks ago and will continue the success story of the Audi e‑tron, our electric pioneer.

Overall, deliveries of the Audi brand were slightly below the prior-year level at 1.61 million vehicles. This was primarily due to supply shortages and challenges in the logistics chain. That we were nevertheless able to hand over so many vehicles is a credit to the strong commitment of our global team. Together we managed the sale of our available models very efficiently. For example, we worked closely with customers to find the best possible vehicle configurations to shorten delivery times. In addition, we consistently increased our profitability, asserted our price position on the market and posted a record result in the Genuine Parts and Genuine Accessories business areas. In this way, we made our contribution to the Group’s strong financial performance.

Wortmann: Over the past decades, Audi has managed to build up a unique premium image. Iconic models such as the Audi TT, the Audi R8 or most recently the Audi e‑tron GT² have been instrumental in this, as have technologies such as quattro drive.
 

Now we need to create the iconic cars of the future. Especially in times of transformation and change, it is extremely important to have a strong brand as the backbone of the business model. And Audi getting involved in Formula 1 will also make a contribution to this. Hardly any other sport reaches so many people around the world. This move will boost both brand awareness and the Audi brand image internationally and thus contribute to the company’s future success.
 

As of late, we have invested heavily in our brand, revised the brand strategy and redefined “Vorsprung” We have consistently communicated our future-oriented stance with our global communication platform “Future is an attitude” and created a new experience format for our customers with the “House of Progress.” All of this is paying off. In the recognized Interbrand ranking, the value of the Audi brand rose by 11 percent last year, reaching almost 15 billion US dollars.