“Electric drives are the best and most efficient solution.”

Duesmann: My résumé is positive on all counts. The brand group gathers four strong, emotional brands under one roof, and the record results this year are proof of that. Our goal is for the group to be more than just the sum of its parts. Everyone benefits when key technologies are shared. For example, the early experience that Audi has gained in electric mobility is a great advantage for Bentley and Lamborghini. With the joint strategy we adopted in 2022, we are safeguarding the brands’ business models for the long term and have set ourselves clear, ambitious targets for operating performance.

Duesmann: Free and fair trade has brought us growth and prosperity, so that is something we will continue to advocate. However, it is also true that the geopolitical situation is becoming more and more complex. That is why Audi is resting its business primarily on three strong pillars: Europe, North America and China. We are driving our development fundamentally in China and North America in order to secure our competitiveness in these regions in the long term. In addition, we are making our supply chains more robust by diversifying them wherever possible and appropriate. Closed material cycles, which we are increasingly establishing, also offer opportunities here.

Duesmann: Despite changes in the underlying conditions, “Vorsprung 2030” continues to provide the right answers. In fact, the major trends of digitalization, electrification and decarbonization have been given a tailwind by recent developments. Digitalization has gained further momentum as a result of the corona­virus pandemic. Accordingly, software, connectivity and the development of a digital ecosystem surrounding the car remain key fields of action for us. And the current fossil fuel crisis validates our early and firm decision to phase out the production of the last internal combusion engines by 2023.

Duesmann: Electric drives are the best and most efficient solution we know to move away from fossil fuels in individual transportation. But we are aware that electric cars currently enter the use phase with a larger carbon footprint. And that is precisely where we are taking action: we are making our plants net carbon-neutral ¹ by 2025 and working with our suppliers to decarbonize the supply chain; as an example, we now require them to manufacture battery cells using green electricity. Our overall goal is to reduce CO₂ emissions throughout the life cycle of our vehicles by 40 percent by 2030 compared with the reference year 2018. As such, we as car manufacturers have a great deal of leverage for greater sustainability.

Duesmann: Formula 1 is the ideal stage for us to demonstrate “Vorsprung durch Technik” and to further raise the profile of the Audi brand worldwide. The sport is watched by around 700 million fans on all five continents. That means a massive reach, and it comes at a limited cost thanks to the racing series’ spending cap – meaning that Formula 1 has a very good return on investment. The most important prerequisite for our entry, though, were the new regulations for 2026. Formula 1 will then take a big step toward sustainability – with increased electrification and the use of synthetic fuels. The racing series aims to be net carbon-neutral ¹ by 2030, and we want to play an active role in helping to achieve this.