Sustainability is a crucial part of performance
Published on: 24/03/2022
Audi Sport had an epic year last year, delivering more than 29,300 vehicles to customers worldwide – a new record! With more than 15 R and RS models now available, the brand now boasts its largest product range ever. And with the Audi RS e-tron GT, Audi Sport has entered the all-electric world.
So we sat down with Sebastian Grams, Audi’s new Managing Director, as well as Head of Sales and Marketing Rolf Michl, to get them to explain the potential that electrification represents – and what it means for drivers.
Sebastian, you’ve been a member of the management team at Audi Sport since the first of March. What has this time been like for you?
Grams: I’m a native of Heilbronn in Germany and began my career here at Audi 20 years ago in drive development. I can promise you that there isn’t a child in this region who doesn’t dream of working at Audi Sport.
Like everyone on our team, I’m a performance enthusiast and extremely passionate about technology. Our mission is to push the limits of what’s possible – that’s what Audi Sport is all about. And I’m positive that this will continue to be the case in the future.
Speaking of limits, what do you think it takes to really be original and innovative?
Grams: Change begins, first and foremost, in the mind. Our goal in the high-performance segment is to redefine the future of personal transportation and make it an even more emotional experience.
One thing this will take is courage – the courage to look at things from completely different angles and, in doing so, to explore new approaches that will continue to delight our customers in the future. We recently launched the Audi RS e-tron GT – the first all-electric RS and our very first all-electric high-performance model – unveiling a completely new, highly emotional side of the RS family.
Rolf, as someone who works in sales that must make your heart swell.
Michl: Indeed, I couldn’t have said it better myself! Our Audi R and Audi RS models play a key role in the brand’s sporty image. With this specific segment, we’re targeting a very demanding, tech-savvy clientele that places the highest demands on performance and design, but also on suitability for everyday use and customizability – this is a segment with significant growth potential for us.
The world is changing – consider electrification and digitization alone. Is this also having an impact on people’s idea of what constitutes a dream car?
Michl: It goes without saying that we’re noticing changes and we are intensively analyzing the trends and market developments that have an impact on our customers’ reasons for buying and their perception of luxury. The aspect of sustainability adds a crucial element to performance – different from what we’ve seen in the past.
Sebastian mentioned the incredible performance of the Audi RS e-tron GT – its acceleration is incredible and is sure to impress even the most skeptical reviewers. Acceleration is one thing, but many still associate performance with the impressive sound of a big combustion engine. Is this a problem?
Rolf Michl: This is where we see the biggest change. Customers purchasing a fully electric model are obviously looking for exceptional performance, but they also prioritize durability.
Silence is the new noise! The Audi e-tron sport digital sound system uses real-time data on the speed of the electric motors and other parameters to simulate the sound of the system in operation in an authentically subtle way. The driver can change the sound characteristics using the personalization options of the Audi drive select system. This means you can ride silently around your neighborhood and let loose in an RS driving mode when the situation allows.
Sebastian, can you tell us more about Audi Sport’s electrification strategy?
Grams: A clear and systematic electrification strategy is the foundation of our company’s future viability. We began the process of electrifying our Audi Sport models with the combustion engines. The Audi RS 6 Avant, Audi RS 7 Sportback and Audi RS Q8 combine powerful 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo TFSI engines with 48-volt mild hybrid systems and cylinder on demand technology. Future model generations will take the RS range one step further, with high-performance plug-in hybrids and all-electric powertrains.
E-mobility opens up completely new dimensions in driving dynamics – think, for example, of the fully variable power distribution of the electric quattro drive with torque vectoring. Spearheading our push into the age of high-performance e-mobility will be our fully electric models such as the Audi RS e-tron GT.
Rolf, from a sales perspective, how does that translate to the showroom?
Michl: We expect to offer more than half of our high-performance models to be partially or fully electrified as early as 2024. And, by 2026, this figure will likely even be as high as 80%.
We want to offer our customers the right products and services for their specific markets and segments. This ranges from the electrification of a broad spectrum of vehicles via mild-hybrid technology to the flexibility of plug-in hybrids and the unique driving experience of all-electric cars. We still see significant potential in the high-performance SUV segment in many markets.
By the end of the decade, we plan to only offer electrified models in the high-performance segment – in other words, all-electric vehicles and high-performance plug-in hybrids.
Sebastian, where do you believe the greatest challenge in this transformation lies?
Grams: A transformation of this magnitude is not a one-person show. We’re working extremely passionately on this as a team.
Change always represents a great opportunity. In this process, we’re motivated to develop new solutions faster than others and to implement them courageously. Here at Audi Sport, our mission is to create the future of mobility in the high-performance segment – a sustainable, progressive and digital future. We know that our customers have high demands and are only satisfied with the best.
There’s always something new happening at Audi Sport. See the latest here.
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