_Encounter Audi Technology Magazine

7/30/2019 _Encounter Audi Technology Magazine

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The Audi Technology Magazine

travolution

Urban Mobility

hybrid

tiptronic

MMI

pre sense

Night View Assistant

Aerodynamics

drive select

LTE Technology

side assist

Recycling

Ergonomics

Head-up display

valvelift system

R tronic

Start/Stop System

multitronic

Recuperation

lane assist

TCNG

Matrixbeam

ASF

Dynamics

Virtual Reality

Efficiency

Performance

CFRP

LED

Le Mans

assist

S tronic

Skills

Mindset

Passion

e-Performance

TDI

Lightweight Design

Quality

TFSI

ultra

connect

e-tron

quattro

balanced

mobility

Design


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The Audi Technology Magazine

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3Encounter Technology Encounter Technology

Dear reader,

The world today faces enormous challenges.

Within the next 20 years, the majority of the population will live in

rban areas, and natural resources will i ncreasingly become a con-

ciously valued commodity. Against this backdrop, the automotive

ector is also entering what is surely the most exciting technological

hift of its history. The challenge lies in being able to continue touarantee people mobility that is both individual and sustainable.

The keys to this are dedication and a wealth of ideas, because times

of change are also moments of bold ideas.Again and again, we demonstrate that Audi i s creating

hese kinds of ideas at the right time. 40 years ago, we brought the

logan Vorsprung durch Technik to the world stage. With innova-

ions like quattro drive, the Audi Space Frame and LED technology,

we have given form to this statement. Since then it has been both

our driving force and our guiding principle.

Hermann Hesse once said: In order to create the poss-

ible, we must keep attempting the impossible. Our engineers live

and breathe this conviction every single day with all the guts it

takes. They research and investigate until their visions can become

reality. With passion is the only way to describe how they set about

addressing the challenges of the future, and come up with clear an-

swers to them.In this technology magazine, you will find out a great

many interesting and exciting things about this very special Audi

standard. It is a cross section of topics that mean a great deal to us

at Audi ones with which we want to shape the mobility of tomor-row; ones with which we apply our Vorsprung durch Technik in the

service of our customers and our responsibility.Efficient internal combustion engines, lightweight de-

sign, the networked car, electrification these are our focal points,

as they are in this magazine, too. But we also want to surprise you

with the unexpected. Read, for instance, how we are currently rein-

venting our core competence with the e-tron quattro. Or how wefind inspiration from the animal ki ngdom.

To go boldly ahead of our time I think that this mottois not just representative of this technology magazine, but also ofa promise that we have made to the future. It takes people with the

courage to attempt something new, without compromise and with-

out fear of failure.

Discover for yourself what it is that drives these peopleand what ideas they stand for at Audi. Enjoy.

Warm regards

During the next 20 years, the automotive sector will undergowhat is surely the most exciting technology shift of its history.The keys are dedication and a wealth of ideas.

Rupert Stadler

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Boardof Management of AUDI AG.


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4 Encounter Technology

Mindset.

Passion.

Skills.quattro concept

Design is applied art126

High voltage

The Audi A1 e-tron starts fleet testing106

Encounter magazine

Technology at its best120

e-tron quattro

Driving fun for the electric age74

New thinking

Patents at Audi118

Virtual reality

Engineers as lawyers to the customer132

Sound of the futureThe sound of electromobility

146

XX factor

Women in Technical Development138

Testing facilitiesThe most important development tools

150

Aerolution

Detail work in the wind tunnel162

TechWorld

Tomorrows technologies170

From TDI to e-tron

The Audi driveline strategy100

Light box

Innovations in lighting technology82

Artwork

The lighting workshop90 The seeing diodes

A new dimension in pedestrian protection94

Contents

Think global

Technology scouting at Audi54

balanced mobility

On the road to CO-neutral mobility36

Perfection

Quality without compromise64

Swarm intelligenceNature as a role model

42

connect

The car as part of the networked world48

Every gram counts

Lightweight design as a mindset28

Era of revolution

Interview with Board Member for DevelopmentMichael Dick

20

Paint and leather

Passion for the best materials188

Tanto Amore

Building engines by hand180

Le Mans

Audi enters a new prototype194

Testing to the extreme

On the road all over the world184

Future Urban Mobility

New mobility in the mega cities200

Mobility 2050

Design trends for the decades to come56

The sound magiciansTuning sound systems

174


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he start of a new era Audi is heading into thege of electromobility with the A1 e-tron. One first step

s fleet testing in Munich.


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Sound as an art form the future Audi e-tronvehicles need their own distinctive sound. Specialistsare creating it in the sound lab.

he future is bright Audi is the leading brandn lighting technology. Engineers build on this leadership

with a constant stream of new developments.


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0 11Encounter Technology Encounter Technology

Voltage, vivacity, velocity Audi is developingnew drive system, the e-tron quattro. It takes the brandsll-wheel drive philosophy into the future.


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Emotions as sculptures Audi is already experimentingwith design ideas for the year 2050. The conceptual modelscombine aesthetics with technology.

Virtual worlds in Design Check, developmentngineers examine new models for their usability, assistedy virtual reality.


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uattro reloaded the quattro conceptrings together lightness and performance,lad in a spectacular new design.


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With love the Aventador LP 700-4 is the new top modelrom Lamborghini. Its production combines state-of-the-artechnology with precision craftsmanship.

Color & Trim the selection of stylish colorsand materials is one of the brands domains anda classic competence of Audi Design.


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MindsetIt was the courage to innovate that put Audi on top.

The company wants to expand its leadership with a stream of new i deasand a clear philosophy.

Mindset.Contents 20 Era of revolution 28 Every gram counts36 balanced mobility 42 Swarm intelligence48 connect 54 Think global 56 Mobility 2050 64 Perfection


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Driven by InnovationMichael Dick is the Member of the Board

responsible for Technical Development at AUDI AG.In interview, he talks about challenges, new competencesand the goal of CO-neutral mobility.

Era of Revolution


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Herr Dick, for some time, it appeared that

the automobile was a mature technol-ogy with all its significant innovations long established. However,

we are now facing revolutionary changes.

Michael Dick: For us automotive engineers, the instinct

to innovate has always been strong things have never really stood

still at Audi. But its true, of course Ive been in the auto industry

for more than 30 years and i t has never been as exciting and challeng-

ing as it is now.Which is the most critical challenge?

Dick:The key factor for the future is how we combine the

social change taking place throughout the world with the enor-

mous progress being made, especially in electrics and electronics,

to create unique products. Only when we make consistent use of

technological progress across all fields in new kinds of drives, and

in the opportunities presented by the networking of knowledge and

function will we be able to ensure individual mobility for the fu-

ture that conserves resources. And we are absolutely committed to

pursuing this approach.

Will this future be dominated

primarily by electromobility?

Dick: In the long term, yes whereby the overall eco-

logical account can only be balanced once electric vehicles are

driven using regenerative energy. Hybrid vehicles are an important

stepping stone towards electrification. For the ne xt years, how-

ever, the classic internal combustion engine will continue to dom-inate. And for this reason, we will keep making further significantprogress in the field of fuel economy and emissions after all, even

a hybrid is only as good as its combustion engine.e-tron stands for electromobility at Audi but in

the most diverse forms

Dick: All Audi e-tron vehicles run on electricity alone;that is what they have in common. They could be plug-in hybrids*,which are charged at standard electrical outlets and have an electricrange of at least 30 to 50 kilometers enough for many daily needs.

On reaching this limit, the customer can continue driving with thecombustion engine in the usual manner and without any restriction

to comfort and usability. Thats why I am a strong believer in this

technology.And the purely electric car?

Dick: Battery-powered vehicles will, from the outset,have a greater range of at least 100 kilometers, which is enough to

cover most everyday driving needs. Overall though, the purely elec-

tric car will find its application largely in urban areas. One particu-lar concept we are working on is a f leet test of the Audi A1 e-tron,

which will take place this year. It has a small combustion engine as

a range extender* that can power a generator for charging the bat-

tery while driving. This keeps the car moving on electricity, even

when there is no charging station nearby. In time, the term e-tron

will come to be associated with Audi electric cars in the same way

that quattro is with all-wheel drive.

Interview

Hermann ReilPhotos

Myrzik und Jarisch

Emotion the engineering boss is impressedevery time he looks at one of the show cars.After all, they represent ideas for the future ofthe brand.

Precision every detail of the Audi e-tron Sypderis meticulously thought through. The designof the exterior and interior is closely integrated.

Audi e-tron Spyder concept idea foran open sports car with mid-engine andplug-in hybrid drive.

* See glossary, pp. 204 207


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Michael Dick With the show cars, we arecommunicating our design strategy.The current Audi A3 concept demonstratesthat even a compact notchback can lookreally dynamic.

Prototype unfortunately, such a sophisticated

combination of carbon and polished alu-minum cannot be realized on series productionwheels yet.

Is there any connection between e-tron and quattro?

Dick:Of course there will be. With the e-tron quattro, we

re networking these two worlds in an intelligent way to bring Audis

allmark dynamics into the electric car. We are developing a system

hat separates lateral dynamics from traction to create an unbeliev-

ble level of driving fun, even under purely electric drive. The e-tron

uattro combines the best Audi genes with innovative technology

his will set Audi well apart from its competitors in future, too.You were not a big fan of hybrid drive for a long time.

Have you now come to terms with the idea?

Dick: Thats true, earlier solutions did not convince me.

And even today, the TDI is still superior to the hybrid in many Eu-opean driving situations when it comes to f uel economy. But we

have made significant progress in this field and achieve excellent

performance and fuel economy figures with our new Q5 hybrid and

he forthcoming A6 and A8 hybrids, all of which have powerful best-

n-class features. Nevertheless, I very much see the full hybrid as a

bridging solution to the plug-in-hybrid, which can also be charged

t a standard electrical outlet.Diesel, gasoline, hybrid, electric

which strategy are you pursuing in view of this enormous

breadth of drive technology?

Dick: You forgot about alternative fuels, which is alsoomething we are working on intensively. It is clear to us that future

model ranges must be able to do it all. Starting with the successor

o the A3, all new models will accommodate all current types of

rive, all the way to pure electric drive. Whether we then produce

ll of the variants will depend on how the markets develop and, ofourse, the costs.

What role will be played in that by the classic

internal combustion engines, TDI and TFSI?

Dick: Easy the most important by far. For the foresee-

able future, the combustion engine will remain the central driving

force, especially when we consider the global benchmark. There-

fore, we will continue to work hard on its efficiency, paying increas-

ing heed to the entire energy chain from its generation through

storage to its consumption within the vehicle, plus the entire pro-

cess chain involved in manufacturing a car. This is where you can

see that the carbon footprint of an electric car, taking into account

its complex battery and the German electricity mix, is not yet partic-

ularly convincing. For this reason, we are taking a new approach with

Audi balanced mobility in order to implement our overall strategyof reducing CO emissions.

As an automaker, you are taking on a whole

new scale of responsibility.

Dick: Our long-term goal is clear CO-neutral mobility.

We are, or course, fir st and foremost an automaker, but we also have

a social responsibility and are thinking well beyond our core busi-

ness when it comes to this issue. Under the heading Audi balanced

mobility, we are pushing forward with innovative ideas. Using wind

turbines, which we are building together with our partners in the

North Sea, we are enabling our e-tron models to run with absolutely

zero emissions. The most exciting part, however, is surely the Audi

e-gas project. Here we are using regenerative electricity to make

hydrogen and methane, in order to drive our future TCNG* models.

This is a completely new approach to the storage of regenerative

energy, but certainly not a matter of science fiction. The pilot phase

of the project is complete and we are now taking the next step to

build a facility for generating methane or synthetic natural gas to

industrial standards. I should also mention that any credible CO

strategy must also incorporate one of Audis core competences

lightweight design.How does that manifest itself?

Dick: The new Audi A6 is the perfect example of where

we stand. It is lighter than its predecessor and consumes less fuel.

Its higher proportion of aluminum pays for itself in just 5,000 ki-

lometers. We have set high targets here each future vehicle gen-eration must be lighter, considerably lighter, than its predecessor.

Which materials are you working with on that?

Dick:With the intelligent material mix! The vehicles that

we build in future will have a high degree of material flexibility. The

basis for this is the ri ght material, in the right amount, in the right

place. That can be an intelligent mix of high-strength steels with

aluminum, magnesium or fiber-reinforced composite materials. I

am specifically not limiting that to CFRP*, as this field continues to

produce all sorts of interesting materials. Working together with

the Voith Group, we are seeking to drive forward the industrializ-

ation of fiber-reinforced polymers for high-volume automotive

applications.

Ive been in the auto industry for more than 30 yearsand it has never been as exciting and challenging as it is now.

Michael Dick



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In this time of so many technological breakthroughs,

you surely need a great many new competences within the

ompany. How do you manage that?

Dick:Electrification is a good example. We currently have

round 500 employees in Technical Development who are working

xclusively on electromobility. Around half of them come from with-

n the company people with a specific interest in the field and who

ave undergone extensive training on the subject and they have

brought with them their know-how from their previous areas of

ctivity. The second half are people we pulled in from outside, who

bring with them additional expertise after all, Audi is a highly at-

ractive employer and that stands us in good stead. This is a healthymix for completely reconfiguring our drive technology. We also

operate a host of joint ventures for development projects, with

which we are currently generating quite a bit of know-how in the

oftware area. This is the only way we can secure Audis hallmark

product characteristics; it is the only way to make sure that an Audi

s always an Audi.Are the key innovations coming only from electrics

and electronics? Has progress in the classic areas of automotive

ngineering such as steering, braking and suspension now

eached its limits?

Dick:Every limit is only temporary. In every area, tomor-

ow brings another innovative idea to make it even better. Even in

he field of handling and comfort, the core elements of every car,

we will continue to see major innovations. Most of them result from

combination of mechanics and electronics. The e-tron quattro isn example of this; our approach to driving without lateral forces

s another. This will facilitate a completely new driving experience.

But electronics and software are always the

big keywords. Will the car become part of a fully integrated and

networked second world?

Dick: This is a significant part of our product strategyunder the heading Audi connect. Every Audi will be extensively

networked with its surroundings and not just with the internet, but

with owners smartphone, with other vehicles, parking garages and

infrastructure components such as traffic signals. This networking

makes traffic safer, but also more free-flowing, thus reducing COemissions.

The number of functions and possibilities is con-

stantly growing. Is this manageable for the driver?

Dick: Reduction, simplification, clarity those are the

keywords for me in describing the interior and operating conceptsof the future. Audis central interface remains the Multi Media

Interface MMI*, which will be intensively developed for future gen-

erations. Our unique touchpad is a key element, fully program-

mable displays are another. It also presents the opportunity f or

stronger differentiation between the individual model ranges. The

Audi TT and R8 are pure driving machines, while an A6 or A8 covers

a broader spectrum. And, in all this innovation, we mustnt forgetthe meaning of the individual fu nctions to our customers. The WLAN*

hotspot in the A6, A7 and A8, for example, is resonating extremelywell. The same will apply to the new Audi online traffic information

service. These are innovations with a value that is i mmediately ap-

parent to the customer.What is the function performed in your mind by

Audis show cars?

Dick: First and foremost, we use them to communicate

our design strategy. The Audi Nuvolari quattro from 2003 is one of

the forebears of our current design language and therefore also

a milestone in our enormous success. The current Audi A3 concept

shows its further development in the near future. It is clear proof

that a compact notchback can look truly dynamic. The Audi e-tronSpyder goes a few steps further a minimalist driving machine with

a new combination of exterior and interior design. But it wont just

be the form that clearly differentiates an Audi from the competi-

tion in future. The fine craftsmanship of the interior and our overall

Vorsprung durch Technik are just as much a part of Audis genes.

Premium visible carbon features increasinglyalongside aluminum as a design element.In the interior, Michael Dick prefers reductionand clarity.

Michael Dick The Audi Nuvolari quattro from2003 is one of the forefathers of our currentdesign language and therefore also one of themilestones in our success.



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Rear wheel mountThe rear wheel mounts on the Audi A4 are made using analuminum diecasting process. Optimized topology (above) makes themconsiderably lighter geometric lightweight design in action.

Light EntertainmentEvery gram countsAt Audi, lightweight design is a fundamental principle,

a mindset. Not just in the bodyshell, but throughout the entirevehicle, development engineers are battling against each unnecessary gram.

Audio amplifierAn intelligent cooling concept reduces the numberof cooling ribs on the new amplifier (below) a perfectexample of lightweight design.

124 g 1,500 g


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A-pillar cladding Secondary air pump mountor the A-pillar cladding (left), a new manufacturing process pumpsir bubbles into the plastic. Throughout the interior, one kilogram has been savedy using material-based lightweight design on all trim pieces.

The secondary air pump ensures that the engine rapidly reachesoperating temperature after cold start. Its new mount (above) is made from

just one folded piece instead of two welded components.

30 g 116 g


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Tunnel cross member Front wheel hubhe Audi A8 has a tunnel cross member that supports the rear endf the tiptronic. In the V8 TDI (above), the part is made from ultra-light magnesiumnd from aluminum in all other engine variants.

Why does a wheel hub have to be circular?Intelligent detail optimization (left) saves weight.

800 g 200 g


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Experts in dialog Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend, Head

of the Audi Lightweight Design Center, and

Heinz Hollerweger, Head of Total Vehicle Development, talk about

ghtweight design in the bodyshell and the vehicle as a whole.

Audi has been the leading brand in lightweight

design for many years. Why is this issue so important?

Heinz Hollerweger:Lightweight design influences many

haracteristics that are extremely important to our customers. Light-

weight design means agility, maneuverability and speed, and it also

means lower fuel consumption 100 kilograms of weight make a

ifference of 0.3 to 0.5 liters per 100 km. With targeted light-

weight design, we influence the weight distribution in the vehiclend the height of the center of gravity.

Until a short time ago, the trend was increased

weight across many models, even at Audi. Why?

Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend: Alongside an increased desire for

omfort on the part of our customers, the most important driver

was tighter safety requirements. For crash tests in particular, we had

o size the structures appropriately in the areas that absorb energy.

Hollerweger: There were also further regulatory re-

quirements including emissions laws. Today, however, we assumethat the increases resulting from legislation have now s topped.

There is very little additional safety that can now be achieved through

weight, but a great deal through active safety with sensors thatcan avoid accidents altogether.

On the new A6, overall weight has been reduced by

80 kilograms compared with the preceding model partly due to

the many aluminum components in the bodyshell. What is the

role played by the bodyshell in lightweight design?

Hollerweger:It is the starting point for all initiatives;

it sets a whole spiral in motion. A lighter bodyshell enables smaller

brakes and lighter running gear. When the vehicle is lighter, we can

reduce the size of the engine and transmission. That way, the crash

loads are lower and we can make the bodyshell even lighter thatis how the spiral keeps turning downward.

Dr. Elend: On the A6, everybody worked on further op-timizing the lightweight design in terms of materials and construc-

tion. The front-end suspension strut mounts are a good example for

both in fact. On the preceding model, they w ere welded together

from ten steel parts. We have now replaced them with a single al-uminum casting and saved ten kilograms per car. And we were able

to attach parts of the suspension directly to the suspension strut

dome a new kind of function integration.Hollerweger: We took a close look at the load paths

throughout the bodyshell and optimized their geometry to make

them as straight as possible for good distribution of forces. We

usually use form-hardened steels for this, with a hardness of up to

1,500 Megapascals. They bring us further weight savings due to

reduced wall thicknesses.

ext

ohannes KblerPhotos

Myrzik und Jarisch

Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend,Head of the Audi LightweightDesign Center

We are combining thedifferent materialsectors with each other.

Heinz Hollerweger,Head of TotalVehicle Development

Lightweightdesign is a mindset at Audi.

The new A6 represents Audis next big step in

bodyshell design, the transition to Multi-material Space Frame.

What does this term mean?

Dr. Elend: The Space Frame that we developed for our

aluminum bodyshells is characterized by extruded profiles rigidly

bound into cast nodes, with the surfaces closed off and stiffened

with panels. This delivers high bodyshell stiffness, which in turn isthe measure of precision, sporty handling and comfort. We adapted

this Space Frame principle for the new A6, which has a passenger

cell made largely from steel panels.Until now, Audis aluminum and steel bodyshells

had little in common. Does the Multi-material Space Frame put

an end to this separation?

Dr. Elend:We are taking a broader approach with all of

our models. Even the A8 no longer has a purely aluminum space

frame; its B-pillars are made from form-hardened steel . We are

combining the different material sectors more and more with each

other, with the target of gradually bringing the Space Frame prin-ciple into large volume production.

Hollerweger:With every part, we ask ourselves how we

can make it lighter. No material is sacred to us in every place, we

use the right material for the r ight function. Materials technology

is developing very rapidly. We already have a colorful mix of steel

in a variety of hardness classes, a wide variety of aluminum alloys,magnesium, polymers and glass.

Which materials possess the greatest lightweight

potential for the future?

Dr. Elend:We are thinking in all directions a large part

of our capability lies i n making good predictions, which is where our

virtual methods give us the advantage. In general, we see a great

deal of potential in fiber-reinforced polymers*. At the moment, we

are using carbon-fiber in some vehicles, but we are looking at a wide

range of synthetic and natural materials. One important aspect inthis respect is always the overall energy footprint of the material.

Hollerweger: The consideration of the entire chain is

surely one of our strengths. How much energy is required to makethe material in the first place; how can it be recycled at the end?

Only if the material can demonstrate a saving in operation versus

production does it make sense for lightweight design. CFRP*, for

example, requires considerably greater energy in production thansteel or aluminum, and we are not ye t certain how it can be recy-

cled. It is for precisely this reason that there is such a strong prefer-

ence for aluminum at Audi.

But lightweight design at Audi is much more

than material science

Dr. Elend:With the versatility that we apply to our work,

a question that is always coming up is how we can bring the indi-

vidual materials together. In the bodyshell area in particular, bond-

ing technology is a key factor. This is a field in which Audi has a very

long tradition and an equally impressive leadership in experience.Successful lightweight design is always teamwork. It starts wheneverybody knows the opportunities offered by one project to the

lightweight design work of another. That is a mindset in this com-pany; it lives in the Audi genes and in our team.

Other than the bodyshell, where else can

you save weight?

Hollerweger: Downsizing* the engine can provide an

initial spark. When it comes to drive, we have cast iron, aluminum

and magnesium materials that we are continually developing. Fiber

composite materials are also a conceivable option for the future,

such as polymers for oil pump casings. We achieve especially sig-

nificant effects in the engine and wheels when we reduce the rotat-

ing masses with their moments of i nertia. We can also foresee fiber

composite materials in the interior, in areas such as seating struc-tures. And, in electronics, we are helped by the increasing network-

ing and integration of components and sensors.It sounds like the next Audi models could be

considerably lighter.

Hollerweger:Yes, they will be. The weight reductions will

vary for an important volume model, we are striving to achieve an

order of magnitude of around 10 percent.And the electric drives of the future?

Hollerweger: This give us a whole host of new chal-

lenges. The batteries will initially lead to weight increases. In an

electric-only car, we may save on the combustion engine, but the

electric motor can conceivably be half its weight, and the battery

easily weighs 160, 170 kilograms, which means well have to work

even harder on the conventional components.Dr. Elend: The new drive concepts offer us the chance

for a revolutionary new architecture and a whole new construction,

which is why we are taking another detailed look at the bodyshell.We are moving away from the notion of always using profile to build

longitudinal beam structures and thinking about new ways of cre-ating stiffness. The new fiber-reinforced materials offer us a great

deal of design freedom.Does the future of lightweight design already

have a name as far as you are concerned?

Hollerweger: Yes it does. We call lightweight design

Audi ultra the term represents the Audi approach at the spearhead

of lightweight design.

Suspension cross-bracehe right of the two suspension cross-braces in the engineompartment is considerably lighter than the left it is made fromormed aluminum profile.

500 gEnjoy an interactive 3D experience of Audi lightweight design.

Take the marker included with the Dialog magazine,download the application and experience lightweight design innew augmented reality.



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bal

ancedmobility

Reiner Mangold,Head of the Audi e-gas project

Use excess eco-electricity andconvert CO into fuel this idea hasenormous potential.

balanced mobilityAudi breaks new ground. The company is aiming

to take a leading role in the sustainable management of natural resources,with the main goal of achieving CO-neutral mobility.

The second key element of the project is the e-gas in-

stallation. The first installation of its kind in the world is scheduled

to enter service in 2013 in Werlte, Emsland and will be capable ofusing up to 6.3 MW of wind energy. The e-gas facility comprises two

main components the first is the electrolyzer. With clean electric-

ity i.e. with the electricity generated by the nearby Audi wind

turbines it splits water i nto its two elements, hydrogen and oxygen.

The hydrogen can then be used to drive fuel cell vehicles such as the

Audi Q5 HFC. However, as this is not yet ready for series production,

it will initially not be used directly, but instead transferred to a

methanation facility where it will be catalytically bonded with car-

bon dioxide (CO) to make methane. The process is coupled to a

waste biogas facility run by energy supplier EWE the CO it supplies

for the methanation process would otherwise be discharged intothe atmosphere. The planned facility can produce around 1,000

tonnes of methane per year, incorporating 2,800 tonnes of CO.

When Reiner Mangold talks about Audis

e-gas project, you can sense his fascination

for the topic. Imagine a chain of energy sources that begins with

wind power, i.e. with regenerative energy, explains the project

leader. At the end of this chain, we will generate electricity, hydro-

gen and methane gas the fuel for our cars. And then i magine that

our technology also has the potential to solve the problem of stor-

ing wind and solar energy, which is, unfortunately, not always avail-

able exactly when we need it.Under the headline Audi balanced mobility, the com-

pany is breaking new ground it wants to take on a leading role inthe sustainable management of natural resources, with the main

goal of achieving CO-neutral mobility. Rupert Stadler, Chairman

of the Board of Management of AUDI AG puts it this way: Audi

balanced mobility means mobility in equilibrium with people, with

its new values and with the environment. Audi balanced mobility

stands for the balance between economy and ecology.The Audi e-gas project will be a milestone on this road.

Mangolds colleague Reinhard Otten explains the concept: The

first major element in the Audi e-gas project is wind turbines. We

are investing in four large installations in an offshore wind park inthe North Sea. Each of the wind turbines generates 3.6 mega

watts and can produce around 53 GWh of electricity per year. Partof that will be used to manufacture 1,000 A1 e-trons and run each

of them for 10,000 miles per year according to the principle for-mulated by Audi boss Rupert Stadler: Our e-tron models will run

on sustainably generated electricity.

Text

Johannes KblerPhotos

Myrzik und Jarisch

Derived from nature oxygen and chemicallyonded energy made from CO.



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CH

1 min300 km Goal Audis e-tron models will runon clean eco-electricity.

Natural power ultimately, one minute of wind is enoughfor a 300 km drive with the A1 e-tron.

End product methane a combustible gas with a highenergy content.

1Wind energy large offshore wind turbinesproduce clean electricity.

2Power grid part of the wind electricityflows from the grid into runningthe e-gas facility.

3Hydrogen production the first step is to split water(HO) into hydrogen (H)and oxygen (O) using electrolysis.

4

e-gas production the second step is for the facilityto produce methanefrom hydrogen and CO.

5e-gas storage the methane from the facilityis fed into the public natural gasnetwork.

1Wind energy

Audis offshore wind turbinesproduce clean electricity around 50 million kilowatthours per year.

2Power grid the wind power is fed into thepublic grid, where it is thendistributed.

3Charging station an intelligent charging strategystabilizes the electricity gridduring charging of the A1 e-tron.

6e-gas fuel station 1,500 Audi A3 TCNGs can each drive15,000 km per year on e-gas.

7Audi A3 TCNG every gram of CO emitted by theA3 TCNG was previously bonded bythe e-gas production process.

O

The Audi e-gas projectThe plan is a central element of Audi balanced mobility.

Audi is building an all-new chain of energy sources wind power generateselectricity, hydrogen and methane.

CO

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InformationAudi and the environment

Hydrogen and e-gas productionThe e-gas facility consists of two main components.

The electrolyzer produces hydrogen and the methanation facility downstreamproduces the e-gas.

Electrolysis the water (HO) in the tank isbroken down into its components partsoxygen (O) and hydrogen (H).The process runs on eco-electricity.

Audi engineer Uwe Heil

The carbon footprint for the entirevehicle lifecycle matters.

Audi engineer Reinhard Otten

The e-gas project can solvemany problems associated with thesustainable energy economy.

Audi takes very seriously its responsibility to manage

natural resources in a conservative manner. Alongside the e-gas

project, are a great many other environmental activities the y

cover all aspects of the automotive value chain and even extend

well beyond it.Audi operates its own environmental foundation and

has planted forests close to its factory locations for the purpose of

researching CO conversion in trees together with partners fromthe field of science. The company is also an associated partner inthe international consortium Desertec Industrial Initiative, which

is seeking to produce solar energy in the deserts of North Africa

and the Middle East.Audi considers every single process within the com-

pany as part of the big picture. Even during vehicle development,

engineers are taking ecology into consideration. This applies to

the individual components and how they are constructed, as well

as the efficiency of the production processes, energy needed to

run equipment, water circuits in the factories and logistical pro-

cesses. The photo-voltaic installations that produce electricity on

many of the hall roofs protect resources, as do the car trains to the

North Sea port of Emden, which are driven by eco-electricity.

Around 70 percent of the emissions generated by a car

in the course of its life are in its op eration, which is why Audi is

working continuously to reduce fuel consumption. TDI and TFSI

engines both of which were developed by the brand automat-ic transmissions and the modular efficiency platform still hold a

great deal of potential. The term Audi connect refers to the net-

working of the vehicle with its environment; it can improve traffic

flow and minimize congestion.Lightweight design technologies grouped under the

term ultra also make a major contribution to a healthy carbon

footprint. Weight reduction is not an end in i tself for us. It is far

more important to achieve a minimal carbon footprint for the

entire vehicle lifecycle, explains Uwe Heil, another colleague of

Mangolds. In the new Audi A6, the bodyshell incorporates many

aluminum components. We have created a carbon footprint for

it that includes all process steps from material production through

component manufacture and fuels to recycling. At the end of the

day, we are seeing that lightweight design initiatives, together

with further efficiency measures pay for themselves in less than

5,000 driven kilometers compared with the preceding model. The

greenhouse gases for the new A6 are down by 13 percent.In the long term, customer expectations will become

even more differentiated which is why Audi is expanding its port-

folio ever further. On top of todays internal combustion enginescome specially modified TCNG units, while second-generation

biofuels will also bring CO reductions to other engines. This year

sees Audi begin sales of its hybrid vehicles, like the Q5 hybrid quat-

tro. The e-tron models that can drive for longer distances on elec-

tricity alone will appear shortly afterward. All these innovations

are mosaic pieces in a grand image of the future the concept ofCO-neutral mobility.

The future of energy supply in Germany belongs to re-

newable energies. Their production, however, is subject to the fluc-

tuations of nature that will become increasingly difficult to accom-

modate as the proportion of electricity production rises. The concept

of methanation with the help of regenerative energy is the solution

to that problem the electricity grid is coupled to the underground

gas network, where excess capacity can be stored for months. Thepotential of the gas network is a stunning 217 Terrawatt hours

(TWh); energy storage devices can currently store just 0.04 TWh.

The energy can be fed back into the electricity grid as required using

electricity reconversion.Our e-gas technology has the potential to give new di-

rection to the discussion on the expansion of renewable energies,

says Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management respon-

sible for Technical Development. We are taking the initiative our-

selves and complementing e-mobility through an equally climate-

friendly concept for the long term.Audi has completed the project planning phase of the

e-gas project; now comes engineering and construction planning.The company intends to invest a sum measuring i n the high tens of

millions in the Elmsland location and the wind turbine facilities.

Project partners are plant manufacturer SolarFuel, the Center for

Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) in Stuttgart and the

Frauenhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy Systems Tech-

nology (IWES) in Kassel. These three partners have worked together

to develop the prototype for the methanation system and to verify

the impact of the technology on the energy system through exten-

sive simulations.

In January 2001, Audi tested on-location a small labo-atory installation with 25 kW. From the outset, it was able to pro-

uce synthetic methane to natural gas quality from exhaust gases

ontaining CO the new climate-neutral fuel was born. It is suit-

ble for driving Audis future natural gas vehicles like the A3 TCNG*,

cheduled for launch in 2013.The methane will be fed into the German natural gas

rid and thus into the CNG fuel station network, where it will re-

place imported fossil-fuel derived natural gas. 1,500 A3 TCNGs will

ach be able to drive 15,000 km per year on the volume of gas ex-pected from the pilot installation in Wertle; with an excess of 150onnes of e-gas. This can be stored i n the public network and useds required by other consumers for example, by combi ned heatnd power plants that will then be able to produce eco-electricity

nd heat on days with little wind and sun.The carbon footprint of the Audi e-gas project is highly

ttractive at the end of the clean energy chain are well over 30

million kilometers of climate-neutral driving per year for the new

-tron and TCNG models. Reinhard Otten is already thinking ahead.

For me, the most fascinating thing about the Audi e-gas project is

hat it doesnt only enable climate-friendly mobility, but can also

olve outstanding problems relating to the sustainable energy

conomy, says the Audi engineer.Eco-electricity, hydrogen and methane are important

o our lives in the 21st century and especially so for future mobil-

ty, continues Otten. In the mid-term, e-gas technology can es-

ablish an energy supply structure that is 100 percent regenerative

nd also highly flexible. Within it, the relative propo rtion of the

hree energy sources balances out in accordance with need.

Methanation

hydrogen (H) is thermo-chemically

bonded with carbon dioxide (CO)to make methane (CH). The by-pro-duct is water.



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Photo:GettyImages


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Model Roman Schindlmaister and Jens Krauseagree that there is much about the behavior of swarmanimals that can be applied to road traffic.

Krause: Just 15 to 30 individuals able to exchange in-

formation can form a competent network. It takes only a couple

of individuals within a group to inject new momentum, around five

to ten percent. Another important factor is the area across which

the user-relevant information is gathered. If we take the exampleof a city center or an even smaller zone, you dont need many ve-

hicles in order to gather and exchange helpful information.Schindlmaister: Exactly this kind of situation is a topic

for us. If I am traveling in Munich, I am not interested if there is

congestion in Dsseldorf or Berlin. Therefore, we are also thinking

in terms of spaces. In our travolution project, traffic lights give in-

formation to vehicles equipped with car-to-X communication. We

have established that only five to ten percent of all cars need access

to this information in order to bring the rest of the vehicles into op-

timum traffic flow.Krause: The advantage of your system is also that the

information is exchanged with other vehicles in real time. With fish,

it is usually the case that the more individuals involved in a decision

process, the longer it takes. This factor of time is not an issue in an

electronic network. The system processes the information extremely

quickly, thus creating an intelligent network. These kinds of struc-

tures are highly robust, flexible and suited to continuous updating.

These are the key factors in swarm i ntelligence that release enor-

mous potential.Schindlmaister: Among drivers, there are hesitant and

more pro-active characters. Can you also detect this in schools of fish?

Krause: Yes, definitely. A large proportion of swarm in-

telligence is based on diversity. There are explorative, ri sk-friendly

and risk-averse fish. In our schools, we find distinct indications of

personality characteristics. Often, it is the combination of a range of

different individuals that makes group performance particularly

strong. The two important sources for swarm intelligence are the

independent gathering of information and the combination of di-verse individuals.

Text

Lisa FtingPhotos

Myrzik und Jarisch

Roman Schindlmaister: At Audi, we use a

range of different communications chan-

nels to link vehicles with each other or with the environment. The

new Audi online traffic information system and the travolution pilot

project are initial examples of this. The aim of the networked car is

to enable our customers to travel more safely, quickly, in greatercomfort and more efficiently. Are we already talking here about

swarm intelligence?Jens Krause:I just sat down again with a robot researcher

and a theoretical biologist to define the term swarm intelligence.

We are always coming up against classification issues. The question

is: When does collectivity become especially intelligent? Not every-

thing that seems collective necessarily has swarm intelligence. There

are many situations in which the mass does something that i s be-neath the average level of the indivi dual. That happens when wecut off the head and co nnect the group blindly. Communication

between vehicles can create a network that enables considerably

more efficient navigation for the indivi dual. The group enables some-

thing that the individual cannot do alone. For a biologist, this fulfils

the definition criteria of swarm intelligence.Schindlmaister: It will obviously be some time until we

have larger volumes of cars with car-to-X communication*. Whichraises the question: How many cars must be equipped with the

ability to network? How many information sources do we need in

order to give the customer a benefit in traffic through communica-

tion? How does that work in a school of fish?

The importance of good schoolingIs the group smarter than the individual? Not always,

but the behavior of animal swarms provides the model for the future networkingof vehicles. Professor Jens Krause, Fish Ecologist in Berlin, and RomanSchindlmaister, responsible for vehicle concepts at Audi, in dialog on swarmntelligence in fish and in cars. Phot

o:GettyImages



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Schindlmaister:This is a key issue, the aspect of the

personal how to I feel as an individual? For us, the defining prin-ciple is that the driver will always be master of the vehicle. We seethese systems primarily as assistance systems. I consider it wrong

to take responsibility away from the customer. The technology

must always be supportive and driving should always be fun. But

who is the decision maker in a school of fish?Krause: The fish at the front or around the periphery

have a higher likelihood of seeing something in the immediate sur-

roundings. Therefore, these are the ones most likely to execute a

change of direction. Others then react to this. This means that theone that is the first to do something new is in possession of exclu-sive information. By passing this on to the others, the entire group

can then avoid an obstacle and thus becomes an intelligent school.

Schindlmaister:Traffic situations change very rapidly.

m thinking of the end of a traffic jam that suddenly appears or ex-ends. It is very difficult to get information on the end of the traffic

am from a central location. However, it only takes a few vehicles in

he jam itself to be able precisely to define its endpoint. The infor-mation can be passed on in order to warn following traffic.

Krause:In this case, the proportion of the vehicles in araffic jam that possess this information is also surely relevant.

Schindlmaister:We can work with relatively few cars

when it comes to warning about the end of a traffic jam in particular.

We can assess the end of a jam with just one to three percent.Krause:And that can give you a real safety benefit.Schindlmaister: An intersection with traffic lights is

basically a bottleneck that two streams of traffic must negotiate

n turns. Animal swarms seem able to navigate bottlenecks incred-

bly well. How do they do that? What kinds of mechanisms avoid

raffic jams in schools of fish? Or do fish have something akin to

raffic jams, too?Krause:There are surely traffic jams in the animal word,

oo. The impressive thing about swarm animals is their enormousapacity for reaction, i.e. the ability to act rapidly and to react to

others. This kind of involuntar y behavior can also be observed among

humans. Think about waiting at a red light. Often, someone will

rive forward and the neighboring car will instinctively follow, even

f the driver is in the middle of a conversation. Certain processes

unction unconsciously and demonstrate that the human being is

learly a swarm animal.Schindlmaister: How do fish communicate?Krause:Fish possess a lateral line* that senses pressure

waves transmitted by other members of their school. Fish can also

ocalize via their sense of smell. Their sense of sight is extremely

mportant, too. We use these in experiments with robot fish. Theyook exactly like the other members of the school. Using a high-

peed camera, we can show that the fi sh dont move in a fully syn-hronized manner. There are deviations. Its ju st that fish can reorga-

nize themselves far more quickly than a human being could. The

outcome is this extremely synchronized behavior, which reduces

he number of collisions and traffic j ams.Schindlmaister: When it comes to traffic, swarm intel-

gence doesnt always make sense. Information concerning a road

losure, for example, can be issued centrally to all road users from

n external location. In other situations, self-organization and the

xchange of experiences can be far more efficient than centralized

nformation.Krause: Will we reach a point where, similar to biologi-

al systems, there is consideration of the benefits to the individual

ersus the benefits to the community?Schindlmaister: In our school, there are of course

many fish that are used to considering mobility as individuality. On

he other hand, we also know that we are reaching our limits in

ities, for instance. With our networked vehicles, we can facilitate return to mobility here. Our systems give the driver clear instruc-

ions that he can follow. However, the customer has the option toecide whether he wants to or not. That is the approach we take

with all of our systems thats our philosophy.Krause: Where do you rank the responsibility of the

river? The stronger the collective elements become, the more we

ace the issue of how much responsibility is still in the hands of the

river.

Roman Schindlmaister

Responsible forConcept Development at Audi.

Jens Krauseis Professor of FishEcology at the Humboldt University inBerlin and at the Leibniz Institutefor Freshwater Ecology and InlandFisheries. His research is concen-trated on the mechanisms and func-tions of group life among animals.He uses experiments to look closely atswarm intelligence and collectivebehavior. Krauses team has developeda robot fish that is recognized byother fish as one of their kind. Usingthe fundamentals of collective be-havior, Krause is also examining socialnetworks.

The robot fish closely resembles areal stickleback and is fixed to a verypowerful magnet. Skids minimizefriction along the underside. A robotarm beneath the aquarium leadsthe fish through the tank. The pathsfollowed by the artificial sticklebackappear in programming language onthe computer. The benefit of thistechnically simple test structure is itsflexibility. A stickleback can quicklybe transformed into a guppy.

Photo:GettyImages

travolution

Formula

Example 1

Example 2

InformationSwarm intelligence

In the travolution pilot project, Audi considersroad traffic as a total system. As an element of this,engineers have established communication be-tween cars and traffic signals. This reduces stoptimes, braking and acceleration phases and therebyfuel consumption. The travolution system alsooffers the opportunity to pay automatically via mo-bile communications for fuel and parking.

Fish group together into schools in order to givethem a higher probability of detecting an aggressor.The probability of a single fish detecting a riskis a=11%. The more fish (n) in a school, the greaterthe probability of identifying the aggressor themany eyes principle.

If vehicles are networked with each other, the driverbenefits from the same effect. The probabilitythat one vehicle can detect a danger and, most im-portantly, pass that information on to others,varies in accordance with the proportion of thoseequipped with the communications module. If,at the end of the jam, there is already a swarm ofn vehicles, there is a high probability, even with

just a few suitably equipped vehicles, that the infor-mation will be passed on:

p (jam-end detection) = 1(1a)n

a = 5%; n= 35(3 lanes, jam-end at precisely 100 meters):p (jam-end detection) = 1(10.05) > 83 %

a = 2%; n=70(3 lanes, jam-end at precisely 200 meters):p (jam-end detection) = 1(10.02) > 75 %



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connectedA medium-term project lots of data for thingslike music and navigation can be relocated from thehard drive to a server on the internet.

New connectionsThe world of data is becoming increasingly interconnected

and Audi is driving this development process. Cars with the four ringsare learning to communicate with their environments with their owners,with the infrastructure and with other vehicles.

Data in the cloud

The first stage of Audi connect

precise information on traffic density derivedfrom data received from other vehicles.

Audi online traffic information

The future starts now intelligent carscan communicate with their environment, making trafficmore fluid, fuel-efficient and safe.

Car-to-X

Illustration:OliverKentner


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Photos

Myrzik und Jarischext

homas Imhof

Whether it is mobility planning or charge management our customers will be able to configure manyaspects of future e-tron models remotely. We are currentlytesting this new technology in practice.

Ricky Hudi

Smartphone

Contact with the car smartphoneapps play an important role incommunications between driver and car.

e-tronRicky Hudi Head of Development, Electrics/Electronics

Ricky Hudi, Head of Development, Electrics/

Electronics at Audi is in an enviable position.

He is one of the first people with the opportunity to test all the

uture technologies his engineers have up their sleeves. Like on his

eturn from a skiing vacation in South Tyrol: I was heading north

t the beginning of January, over the Brenner pass toward Kufstein

nd the Inntal intersection, recalls Hudi. There is often congestion

here, but you dont receive a warning from the TMC* until you enter

he network area for the German traffic channels, which is usually

oo late and often irrelevant.On this particular day, however, this was not a problem

or Audis electronics boss. In his A8, the new Audi online traffic

nformation system calculated a detour well before he even reached

he Brenner pass. The new congestion monitoring system, which

will enter series production this year, maintains an overview of the

elected route without third-party assistance and is bang up to date.

The data that it uses come from around one million devices that trans-

mit their current location at frequent i ntervals via the cell phoneetwork to a mobile communications provider.

The provider uses this information to derive a differen-

iated traffic density image for the roads network and an Audi driver

an use this knowledge to his benefit. If he enters his route, he re-

eives a precise preview of traffic flow on the individual parts of his

route. In contrast to TMC, this also includes non-autobahn and city

roads. If the route is clear, the dominant color is green; for slow

moving traffic or congestion this changes from yellow through or-ange to red. In this case, the Audi online traffic information system

identifies the problem in a short text message and immediately cal-

culates a sensible alternative rout e that doesnt lead directly into the

next traffic jam. The service is now up and running in central Eu rope,

France and Italy. Further European countries will follow shortly.On that day in January, the MMI* screen in Ricky Hudis A8

was very colorful. The Californian is still pleased with his successful

maneuver around the problem: I saw exactly how the traffic was

building up on the other side of Innsbruck. But, by then, I was already

on the back roads over the Z irler Berg and Seefeld. Once on the empty

Garmisch autobahn, it was a free run into Munich, while the radio

announced a 110 km tailback between Rosenheim and Munich.The Audi online traffic information system is an initial,

key element in the array of new networking solutions that the brand

is bringing together under the heading Audi connect. Hudi: Thelast decade was marked by the networking of i n-vehicle electronicsystems. The new decade will be characterized by the ability of cars

to network with their environments with the communications world

of the customer, with other vehicles and the infrastructure. This gives

the car a certain capacity to think, see and communicate.The world of data is becoming increasingly intercon-

nected and Audi is at the head of the charge driving this process.We reached the fundamental decision at an early stage to intro-

duce the UMTS* mobile communications standard i nto our cars, says

Ricky Hudi. That was the strategic starting point that now puts us

clearly in front of the competition. We are the leading edge.

LTEWith Audi, passengers have full accessto the internet. Our next step will be high-speeddata transfer using the new LTE standard.

Ricky Hudi

* See glossary, pp. 204 2070 Encounter Technology


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Google

Our cooperation with Google is groundbreaking andwe are expanding it bit-by-bit. We started withGoogle Earth and we are now introducing Google Street Viewand Google POI Voice Search.

Dr. Peter Steiner

ITOur young customers particularly appreciate the entertainmentfunctions, while A8 drivers are more fascinated bytechnical highlights. Audi customers are generally very in tunewith IT, more than is the case for all the other brands.

Ulrich Beeskow

Dr. Peter Steiner

Head of Development, Infotainment

Ulrich Beeskow

Head of Development, Navigation and Communication

At the end of 2009, Audi began to equip its vehicles with

online services, And this filtered very quickly down from the A8 to

he new A1, stresses Ulrich Beestow, Head of Development, Nav i-

ation and Communication. He knows that, while younger customers

particularly appreciate the trendy entertainment functions, A4 and

A6 drivers place a lot of value on congestion recognition. A8 cus-

omers, on the other hand, are fascinated by technical highlights

ke Google Earth* graphics. Audi customers are generally v ery in

une with IT, more than is the case for other brands.The elegant 3D map graphics displayed by the large Audi

navigation system can be fused with images from Google Earth;

Audi is currently the only automaker worldwide to offer this service.

In our case, the Google i mages arent sent to the screen fr om a hard

rive, but from online and to an accuracy of 30 meters, stresses Peter

teiner, Head of Development, Infotainment. In Germany, this will

oon be followed by the Google Street View function with which

he driver can view the destination in advance on the MMI screen,

rom a steering-wheel perspective and through 360 degrees.This year will see Audi further expand its cooperation with

Google with the online search function Google POI Voice Search*.

Engineers have tested the new function for the first time in the San

rancisco metropolitan area. After pushing the voice-operation

button, we asked for destinations such as seafood restaurants. In

matter of seconds, the request was posted to the Goo gle server

nd, just as quickly, the addresses of the nearest establishments

ppeared on the navigation display, reports Ricky Hudi.

In the networked world, demands are increasing at

break-neck speed the brand with the four rings meets them withnew solutions. Audi connect stands for the fascinating new field of

car-to-X communication* for the i nteraction of the car with theowner, with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure.

One aspect is the approach taken with the new Audi e-

tron models. Special smartphone apps* will enable users to checkbattery charge status remotely or, in summer, to cool the interior

of the car efficiently while the battery is being charged. In the me-

dium term, this function can be expanded to cover remote diagnos-

tics in advance of an appointment, the car provides the service

center with all its important status information.Car-to-X technology offers enormous potential to make

traffic safer and more free-flowing and thereby to save fuel. Audi

has established important fundamentals in its travolution project.

In Ingolstadt, 25 sets of traffic lights communicate with test fleet

vehicles they inform them when their signals will change and

what the optimum speed would be between each of them. The in-telligent green wave can reduce CO emissions at stop lights by 15

to 20 percent.

Data transfer for all Audis telephone and o nline ser-

vices is facilitated by a UMTS module. It is integrated into the Blue-

tooth* online car phone and tr ansports data at a rate of up to 7.2 MB

per second. The module also delivers specially prepared weather

reports and news into the car and offers travel planning support.Ricky Hudi continues: All of these functions are highly

attractive, but they shouldnt distract the driver from his main task

that of driving the car. For this reason, we select the most appro-

priate features and prepare them in such a way as to deliver the

greatest possible benefits. Passengers, on the other hand, have

full access to the internet with Audi the WLAN* hotspot in the

UMTS module can support up to eight mobile devices. We were

the first automaker to put a hotspot into a vehicle. We offer factory-

fitted UMTS with a reception-optimized external antenna, says

Peter Steiner.The next-generation mobile communications standard

with the acronym LTE (Long Term Evolution) will make data transfer

even faster; it is set up for a data transfer rate of up to 100 MB per

second. Audi has already shown an A8 equi pped with this technology.

Ulrich Beestow outlines the timeframe: We are currently running

the first pilot projects in the countryside and expect widespread

introduction in Germany before 2014. This super high-speed data

connection will be especially beneficial to young users of social net-

works, who frequently send videos and other large files via internet.

Skype*, too, the video telephone system that is particularly popular

in the US, will also be made faster and more reliable by LTE.

Audi is further expanding its expertise with the simTD*

(Safe and Intelligent Mobility Test Deutschland) large-scale test

program, which is underway in the Frankfurt metropolitan area.

The project partners involved, including five further German ve-

hicle manufacturers, are working on simTD across all angles and

opportunities concerned with the car-to-X field of technology. This

covers topics such as advance warning of congestion, of black ice

or an accident at an intersection, or even information on available

parking spaces. The communication can run o n LTE via a service

provider or via Automotive W-LAN using this communications

standard (WLAN 802.11p) vehicles can spontaneously network

with each other.Ricky Hudi has exciting ideas for pushing forward with

the big issue of Audi connect. One development objective could be

autonomous driving, at least in frequently slow-moving commuter

traffic. By the end of the decade, we aim to have achieved the goal

of being able to drive autonomously in those situations where ac-

tive driving is no fun, announces the 43 year-old. If I want to drive

myself, thats what I do. If I want to relax, I all ow myself to be driven

and thus make better u se of my time.Hudi stresses, however, that in all of this, electronics can

never become an end in itself. It is either a supporting element for

things like engines, transmissions or braking systems; or it is a fas-

cinating element, as in infotainment, lighti ng technology, user inter-

faces and displays. At Audi, we develop new solutions that have not

only practical, but also sensual components.

* See glossary, pp. 204 2072 Encounter Technology


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The tech scouts offer Audi development engineers a

number of information platforms. In a newsletter, they describe

new technologies and collect links that the engineers can use to

investigate trends in greater depth. The AEV database enables en-

gineers to investigate background knowledge on electronics and

software issues. The task of examining new technologies for theirfeasibility in traffic is usually the source of lively discussion between

technical development engineers and AEV scouts.In identifying future technologies, the scouts are look-

ing years ahead. For example, they identified the current mega-

trend in 3D recognition* ten years ago as demonstrated by the

cooperation with PMDTechnologies GmbH from Siegen. In 2002,

AEV scouts analyzed the potential of Photonic Mixing Detectors*

(PMD) and, in a technology roadmap, recommended a joint venture

between scientist Prof. Dr. Rudolf Schwarte and AEV.The semi-conductor elements developed by Dr. Schwarte

now play a major role in next-generation assistance systems. For

example, the sensors currently used in gaming consoles are very

well suited to pedestrian recognition. Over the next few years, Audi

will put 3D pedestrian protection into series production, thus fur-ther improving its active assistance systems.

New technologies are emerging all over the

world. A team of trend hunters seeks out

the most innovative ideas and checks their feasibility for automo-tive applications. Ten years ago, Audi Electronics Venture (AEV) was

founded. It was set the task of complementing the activities ofTechnical Development with research into the field of electronics

and software, to deliver innovative inspiration to Audis electronic

engineers. Since then, AEV scouts have been identifying new trends

and technologies and networking Audi engineers with experts.In carrying out their task, the trend hunters use con-

tacts with universities and scientific sites on the internet. They at-tend congresses and trade fairs, like the Consumer Electronics Show

in Las Vegas. At this, the worlds largest trade fair for entertainment

electronics, for example, the scouts meet with colleagues from the

USA, monitor developments from around the world and provide

the technical minds in Germany with important food for thought

on future technologies.

roject Working together with students from StanfordUniversity and the Volkswagen Electronic ResearchLab, Audi has developed an autonomous vehicle.In future, cars like the Audi Urban Mobility tech-nology showcase could drive themselves in stop-gotraffic, thus taking the load off the driver.

Audi Urban MobilityStanford, USA

Project Audi is breaking new ground in the representationof navigation destinations with Google Earth*and Google Street View. In order to represent theroute even more realistically, Audi developmentengineers are monitoring 3D screens, like thoseused by Toshiba and Hitachi for entertainmentelectronics.

3D TechnologyTokyo, Japan

Project In order to be able to react quickly to trends in thefield of e-mobility, Audis feelers stretch wellbeyond Germany. Working with Tongji University inShanghai, Audi engineers are monitoring currentdevelopments in Chinas mega city and are testingthe electrification of the Audi A6L.

Audi Tongji Joint LabShanghai, China

Text

Julio Schuback

Thinkglobal

Project The company BioFields wants to produce second-generation biofuels in Mexico. It will still besome time until the fuel is available at German fuelstations. Nevertheless, Audi technology scoutsare already looking into the advantages and disad-vantages.

Biofuel

Baja, Mexico

Project Since 2006, Audi Ingolstadt has been investigatingcar-to-X* technology with its travolution researchproject. When cars are networked with other vehi-cles, infrastructure and traffic lights, CO emis-sions in city traffic can be reduced by up to 15 per-cent.

Audi travolutionIngolstadt, Germany

Project Samsung from South Korea is using organicLEDs (OLED) for computer screens. OLEDs save en-ergy and improve image contrast compared withstandard monitors. Audi technology scouts see thepotential for OLED technology* in many areas ofthe vehicle.

OLEDSeoul, South Korea

Project

Audi A8 with Long Term EvolutionParis, France

Audi and Alcatel-Lucent are bringing the Long TermEvolution (LTE) mobile communications standardto production maturity for in-car application. LTEmobile communications technology enables signifi-cantly faster access to online services like GoogleEarth and Google Street View, and facilitates theexchange of larger quantities of data.

roject These days, it is commonplace for telephones tofacilitate applications, known as Apps*, as popular-ized by computer manufacturer Apple. Audi, too,wants to offer i ts customers cell-phone softwarethat could, for example, allow them to check thecharge status of their A1 e-tron.

AppsCupertino, USA

* See glossary, pp. 204 2074 55Encounter Technology Encounter Technology


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Robustness and aerodynamics the theme of this design. Lightness and dynamics the impression conveyed by this design language.

Mobility in the year 2050What will cars look like in 39 years? Even Stefan

Sielaff doesnt really know the answer to that. But AudisHead of Design is certain about one thing in the decades to come,a car must still possess the power of emotion and aesthetics.


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A small black notebook just 8 by 12 centi-

meters in size. Its contents? The future! Ort least a few ideas on it. Designers always live in the future, mustonstantly anticipate developments. This is where Stefan Sielaff,

Head of Audi Design, sketches the mobility of the future of the

ear 2050. That might seem a long way off. But even the longest

ourney begins with the first step, the first idea.What do we know today about 2050? We know at least

his much and its a deciding factor: The basic parameters of mo-

bility will change dramatically. In 40 years, the majority of people,

p to 90%, will live in mega cities. Even today, this applies to more

han half. Therefore, the need for individual mobility will surely be

ifferent. This change will be further magnified by new technolo-

ies, by stricter regulations and by enormous changes in society.New types of drive are, however, just one aspect when

t comes to making vehicles more efficient. For Stefan Sielaff, the

ssues of lightweight design and aerodynamics are just as much

part of the picture. In order to banish harmful emissions from cityenters, vehicles must have zero emissions, which means they must

un on electricity, for example or whatever else is possible in 40

ears time. The car will be part of a fully networked data world.

ssues like connectivity, car-to-X communication* and swarm intel-

gence will help in that process.

A glance into his sketch book offers some clues as to the

direction of Stefan Sielaffs thinking. One drawing evokes an asso-

ciation with an airplane: Every gram that I take out of the vehicleincreases its range. At the end of the day, the cars mustnt just look

lightweight, they must also be lightweight. Aerodynamics, on the

other hand, is no longer as decisive for traffic in mega cities, be-

cause it doesnt start to play a major role u ntil upward of 80 km/h.

In large cities, I generally drive at 30 to a maximum of 70 km/h.

But out of the city, the issue will play a bigger role than ever.Because of the enormous space requirements in urban

areas and restrictions in parking options, there will also be some

changes to a cars size and basic form. It makes a pretty big differ-

ence whether a car is three or five meters long. Technology has made

it easier for us designers to play around with vehicle formats. With

electric-only drive, for instance, there is no longer a drivetrain. The

motors can be mounted directly at the wheel hubs and supplied

with power from the battery via cable. This creates design freedom,

because there is no longer such a pressing need to consider weight

distribution.A decisive factor for the evolution of automotive design

is the technological layout of the future, based on associated in-novations. This is why Audi Design is located within Technical De-

velopment. Stefan Sielaff is certain that the next major design step

will only be possible after a leap forward in technology. Only when

we introduce truly blockbusting innovations into the vehicle, can

we achieve a really significant step forward in design. In the begin-

ning, internal combustion engines were simply nailed to the bot-

tom of horse-drawn carriages, and the driver sat above on the coach

box. At some point, however, it became apparent that this layout

was not the best one and a completely new vehicle architecture was

developed. In principle, we are still using this classic three-box ar-chitecture today engine at the front, then the pa ssenger cabin

and the trunk at the rear.

ext

hristian GnthnerPhotos

Myrzik und Jarisch

he sketch book this is where Stefan Sielaff keeps hisdeas for the distant future of mobility.

Water walkers and co. avatars is what Sielaff callshe three-dimensional representations of new design ideas.



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An avatar with almost floating forms

Like here, where the surfaces are connected with precise edges and hang together well,it immediately creates a positive feeling, says Stefan Sielaff.

An avatar themed on aerodynamics

How can we use surface design, use blades and air that run through the vehicle to optimize an object,and what impact does that have on the design? asks Stefan Sielaff.


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But how might the new layout look? And what about

the associated vehicle architecture and the corresponding charac-teristics of the design language? This is another field where the

Audi Design team is working hard on the futur e and turning thoughts

into three-dimensional models. Sielaff prefers to call them ava-

tars thee-dimensional representations of an idea. The exterior and

interior designers experiment with the development of form. What

is the next stage in vehicle design? How do designers interpret Audi

values, especially lightweight design and efficiency? How could the

surfaces and proportions fit together in futu re in order to convey

these values even more powerfully?For Stefan Sielaff and his team, this process is enormous-

ly important: Just like a chef has to replenish himself with experi-

mentation, or a classical musician that can let himself go in other

genres like jazz, we have given the entire exterior team and the guys

from interior design the freedom to test themselves.Each of the avatars displays Audi genes, although, in

some cases, in an extremely abstract interpretation. The water

walker design for example looks more like an organic object that

can stand on water only because of its surface tension. Neverthe-

less, this is expressed in a form that, to some degree, resembles a

conventional car that of lightweight design taken to extremes.

Another avatar interprets the issue of robustness: Aerodynamicswas surely the topic here. How can we use surface design, use

blades and air that run through the vehicle to optimize an object,

and what impact does that have on the design?A third avatar, which is also themed on aerodynamics,

is a sculptural work with very thin walls. The vehicle architecture

constructed from strips looks extremely light. This kind of form will

be made possible by new materials and a self-supporting sub-struc-

ture. All manner of things will be conceivable in bodyshell design

by the year 2050, including highly robust cellular structures. Pro-

duction techniques will be revolutionized, allowing us to conduct

design experiments with almost floating forms.

The 49 year-old designer hints that work is already un-derway on initial projects that are, of course, secret. Suspension

components are freestanding; body and interior are pressed like atub in a single piece. This saves on lots of heavy add-on parts suchas seat frames. You just have to adjust the steering to fit the size of

the driver, which delivers enormous weight savings. Of course, this

shell technology has an impact on the design; it looks lighter thanit does on solid structures.

There is one thing, however, of which Sielaff is absolute-

ly certain. In the decades to come, cars must still deli ver emotion. He

finds the model with the gently flowing strips particularly aesthetic.

Like here, where the surfaces are connected with precise edges

and hang together well, it i mmediately creates a positive feeling.

The designer is speaking here of a sculptural sensation. This will al-ways be important, regardless of what vehicles in 2050 ultimately

look like, be it stretched and light or more compressed and higher.

It is already our motto that a car must be driving, even at a stand-

still it must exude dynamism, speed and movement.The fundamental appreciation of true beauty is very

similar for all people around the world. It has a lot to do with thegolden ratio and proportions. And it will stay that way. Sielaff: The

majority of people feel either positive or negative about certain

forms. We see that in both architecture and fine art. And that will

also be the case for the means of transport for the year 2050.

New approaches Stefan Sielaff is certain that

brand new production techniques in the decades to comewill also enable completely new design.

InformationDesign in 10 or 15 yearsInterior This is where we will definitely see a reduction,

i.e. a visual calming, but not a systemic one. There will be a stronger interactionbetween vehicle and driver that wont be controlled via additional buttonsor great complexity, but through linking the vehicle with personal devices.

Exterior On the outside, the issue of efficiency will continue tobe the focal point lightweight design in any event and, for faster vehicles,definitely aerodynamics. We will have vehicles that are also visually lighter.


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Perfection!Quality without compromiseExcellent quality and reliability are more than

a characteristic of the Audi brand they represent a commitmentthat is lived and breathed every day.

Masterful Werner Zimmermann,Head of Quality Assurance at Audi, at themaster jig for the Audi Q5.


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brated. This is where the fine tuning of Audis hallmark joints and

radii takes place on everything ranging from the body panels to

add-on components like bumpers and light assemblies. This is

where the tenths of a millimeter that define the quality of an Audicome into play. Werner Zimmermann leaves nothing to chance.

Take a look for example at the shutline around the fuel cap on the

A5 Coupe. It is not exactly the same size all the way round. On themaster jig, we are more than simply objective in our adherence to

measurable criteria; the subjective view of the whole is just as i m-portant. The shutline around the fuel cap has to have different di-

mensions top and bottom in order for the viewer to see it subj ec-tively as perfectly even.

Uncompromising quality is a fundamental value of the

Audi brand; reliability and longevity are an absolute must for allproducts. However, for the Audi brand, the meaning of quality goes

well beyond the reliability that is so highly prized by customers.

Quality encompasses all those areas that a customer can experi-

ence in our cars with all of his

Documents

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