Audi aims to be more than just an automaker, intending to leverage new technology to generate additional revenue from the cars it produces through mobility services.
This is the central focus of the automaker’s new “Vorsprung 2030” strategy, unveiled on Wednesday. The name is a reference to Audi’s former slogan “vorsprung durch technik,” translating to “progress through technology.”
The new strategy was spearheaded by Audi’s strategist, Silja Pieh, who, along with her team, spent months analyzing 600 trends that could be relevant to the automaker throughout the rest of the decade, according to an Audi press release.
Audi previously announced that it would launch only electric vehicles from 2026 onwards and would cease the sales of internal combustion engine cars by 2033. However, the automaker also plans to emphasize software along with electric propulsion systems.
“In the future, customers will be able to upgrade their vehicles and update or install subsystems as needed,” said the Audi press release. This indicates that Audi is looking to follow Tesla’s model of offering certain features through post-purchase software updates, with an additional charge.
This will be possible thanks to a standardized operating system that will be used across the entire Volkswagen Group from 2025, Audi stated. The operating system will be developed by VW’s software branch, CARIAD. Therefore, it’s possible that other brands within the VW Group will also adopt Audi’s perpetual update strategy.
Audi noted that it has two development branches working on new ideas. One is an “innovation unit” called Audi Denkwerkstatt. The other, named Audi Production Lab, focuses on technologies to enhance the manufacturing process, the automaker said.
In the short term, Audi has stated it will have 20 fully electric models in its global lineup by 2025, and it has also been focusing on making its factories carbon-neutral by that time.
The launch cadence for the United States has already accelerated. The E-Tron GT sedan arrived earlier this year and will soon be followed by the Q4 E-Tron crossover.
Meanwhile, the Sphere concept series to be unveiled over the next few months will set the brand’s design direction for later in the decade.
