Audi Media Days: make way for the future of mobility
“What will move us next” is the tagline of the revamped IAA Mobility 2021 auto show being held in Munich in September. Ahead of the event, Audi gave media representatives from all over the world a glimpse of its own and the entire future of mobility – at the Audi Media Days #FutureReady.
In this context, from August 25 to September 1, the company covered one of Audi's key areas of focus from its new corporate strategy with the core topics of sustainability, digitalization, and customer centricity in entertaining, 45-minute online formats. Experts from various departments and Audi’s top executives led by CEO Markus Duesmann took the virtual stage to answer questions.
On the final day of the Media Days event, the company presented the Audi grandsphere concept, thereby daring to take a particularly bold look into the automotive future.
Audi grandsphere concept: a bold look at the future of mobility
The grandsphere concept is one of three concept cars that the brand with the four rings is using to document its vision of progressive luxury. The future of Audi is sustainable – without sacrificing personal mobility and premium experiences. Audi is blazing this trail with groundbreaking, all-electric e-mobility products. Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, and Marc Lichte, Head of Audi Design, presented the Audi grandsphere concept. The vehicle offers a glimpse of a new luxury model in the somewhat distant future of mobility in which the interior evolves into a new living environment. It is the automotive proof that Audi is already #FutureReady today.
The future of mobility: how Audi will continue achieving “Vorsprung durch Technik” through constant innovations
Silja Pieh, Head of Corporate Strategy, talked about what the "Vorsprung 2030" strategy and its implementation going to look like.
The Media Days were opened with the Spotlight on Corporate & Business. CEO Markus Duesmann, Chief Strategy Officer Silja Pieh, and Head of Digitalization John Newman discussed the “Vorsprung 2030” strategy, the processes behind it, and how innovations will ensure that Audi maintains its “Vorsprung durch Technik.” Jürgen Rittersberger, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Legal Affairs, will explain how the company is creating the financial foundation for innovations and new technologies in the field of e-mobility. And Werner Eichhorn, president of Audi China, talked about the company’s activities in the strategically important Chinese market.
How Audi is boldly seizing the opportunities offered by digitalization and transformation
On the following day, everything revolved around bits and bytes during the Spotlight on Digitalization. Digitalization offers tremendous opportunities for Audi and its customers – vehicles are becoming increasingly personalized and intelligent; safety and comfort are also getting a boost. At the same time, Audi is systematically digitalizing its value chain, from sales and distribution to production. Hildegard Wortmann, Audi Board Member for Sales and Marketing, and Peter Kössler, Audi Board Member for Production, were among those explaining the current status of Audi’s transformation into the digital era.
How can e-mobility become even more convenient?
At the "Sustainability" theme day of the Audi Media Days, Oliver Hoffmann, Board Member for Technical Development, spoke about the company's ambitious plans.
In the Spotlight on Sustainability, the focus was on sustainable mobility at the premium level – Audi is optimizing all of the links in its value chain to achieve this. Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development, explained exactly how this will work. He described, for example, why Audi has partnered with energy providers. And Ralph Hollmig and his team used the Audi charging hub to prove on the virtual stage that used lithium-ion batteries from dismantled development vehicles can make charging even more convenient.
