The ideal line to more sustainability

When former ski star Felix Neureuther leaves his house in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and walks past the stone-clad wall down to his underground garage and through the gray metal gate, he enters his very own electric domain. Next to an e-mountain bike and an electric lawn mower stands the latest treasure in his collection: the fully electric Audi RS e-tron GT. “This car is a beast. Its acceleration is incredible. You can feel it with every fiber of your being – it’s awesome!” says Neureuther enthusiastically.

The Audi RS e-tron GT combines attractive design and technical innovation with pure power, delivering 475 kW (646 PS) in boost mode and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds in boost mode, yet still offering exceptional sustainability (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km: 20.2–19.3 (NEDC), 22.6–20.6 (WLTP); combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0). This is because the car was delivered to customers as net carbon-neutral¹ – just like all the fully electric models supplied by the Four Rings in the USA and Europe since January 1, 2021.

To achieve this, Audi has a variety of measures in place in the upstream supply chain processes as well as in production and logistics. The goal is ambitious: For instance, by 2025 Audi wants production at all its own sites to be net carbon-neutral.¹ In 2018, the “CO₂ program in the supply chain” was also initiated with the aim of successively decarbonizing the supply chain. For this purpose, Audi Procurement relies on green energy, CO₂-reduced aluminum and CO₂-reduced steel as well as recycling concepts and secondary material in various areas. In this way, a total of more than 480,000 metric tons of CO₂ were saved in the supply chain in 2021.

There is a particular emphasis on aluminum, since its production is especially energy-intensive. The Four Rings have continually optimized recycling through the Aluminum Closed Loop. By turning aluminum waste from production into new aluminum, a total of more than 195,000 metric tons of CO₂ was avoided at the sites in Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Győr and the multi-brand site in Bratislava in collaboration with the suppliers concerned.

As part of a pilot project, Audi is procuring 20-inch rims for the Audi RS e-tron GT that are made from CO₂-reduced aluminum. The manufacturer Alcoa supplies the material from an innovative, self-developed smelting process that emits oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. Unlike traditional aluminum manufacturing processes, this technology does not cause any direct CO₂ emissions.

In addition, parts are in use that are made from recyclates – that is, recycled materials – such as Econyl, which is made entirely from reprocessed nylon fibers and is used, among other things, as a material for carpets and floor mats for the Audi RS e-tron GT.

Another focal point is the high-voltage battery whose production is very CO₂-intensive. To counteract this, Audi has reached an agreement with its battery cell manufacturers for new electric models to be sold in the USA and Europe: Only renewable energy that is not produced from nuclear power or fossil fuels may be used for cell production. Audi uses climate protection projects to offset CO₂ emissions that cannot be avoided in the supply chain and in production despite the measures that have been implemented to date.²

In accordance with its Code of Conduct, the Four Rings work only with partner companies in the area of procurement that are committed to the same environmental protection values and goals in terms of environmental protection, employee rights and compliance (integral part of the contract). A Sustainability Rating that is mandatory in the Volkswagen Group records and governs how suppliers are implementing sustainability standards.

As an Audi brand ambassador and a parent, Felix Neureuther is also committed to sustainability. For him, this is the issue facing us today and in the future. “As a father of two, I think we need to work to ensure that our planet remains livable for future generations,” says Neureuther. To achieve this, significant CO₂ reductions are required. Felix Neureuther understands the importance of electric mobility for climate protection: “It helps reduce CO₂ emissions. This is the only way we can leave a clean and healthy planet for future generations.”

The Bavarian is very attached to his homeland. He loves the mountains, the snow and the unspoiled landscape. His hope for the future is that his children will be able to enjoy it just as much as he can. His daughter Matilda is four years old and is already skiing. And in 20 years’ time? The snow cover in Neureuther’s homeland is shrinking, and the effects of climate change have long since been noticeable in Upper Bavaria. “As a skier, I’ve experienced first-hand how the glaciers have changed over the years. It’s a frightening trend,” says Neureuther. To play his part, he has built a home designed for sustainability, featuring lots of wood, a state-of-the-art energy system in the basement and a photovoltaic system on the roof.

“The great thing about the photovoltaic system is that we can charge our electric car practically free of charge, which is just fantastic.” His delight is palpable. When Felix Neureuther pulls the cable out of his Audi RS e-tron GT in his garage after charging, he flashes a beaming smile that could even outshine the gleaming black and gray wall box.

Audi is well aware that electric driving is only as “green” as the electricity used. ³ That is why the company is supporting customers in producing as little CO₂ as possible throughout the utilization phase of their electric models. Audi has a range of offers designed to make charging easy and, with renewable energy, environmentally friendly for as many customers as possible. Since most charging takes place at home, the Four Rings offer wall boxes that can be operated absolutely carbon neutrally, in conjunction with green electricity provider Elli, for example.

For charging on the go, by 2025 Audi and its joint venture IONITY are planning to install more than 5,000 additional fast-charging points with charging capacity of up to 350 kW at over 1,000 locations in Europe – using completely renewable energy sources ³ The Audi Charging Hub is the vision of a premium charging experience – with high-power charging (HPC) points that Audi customers can book in advance and a connected optional lounge area. At the pilot location in Nuremberg, the Audi RS e-tron GT can charge enough energy for up to 100 kilometers in just over five minutes, and a charge from 5 to 80 percent takes just under 23 minutes under ideal conditions (according to WLTP).

Even when the useful life of an electric Audi comes to an end, the company takes care of the recycling and other uses of the vehicle battery.³

Audi batteries are given a second life in applications such as fast-charging stations, for example at the Audi Charging Hub. Or they can be used as stationary energy storage devices to temporarily store electricity from power stations during phases of surplus energy. For this purpose, Audi is cooperating with the utility company RWE in the North Rhine-Westphalian town of Herdecke, for instance. RWE operates an energy storage system there that features used lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles from Audi. With the help of 60 battery systems, this novel storage on the premises of the RWE pumped-storage power plant at the Lake Hengstey reservoir will provide intermediate storage of around 4.5 megawatt hours of electricity.