Electric Vehicle Development Aligned with the Slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik"

—I was surprised by the international test drive event in Hakone. While Japanese car manufacturers have invited foreign journalists for such events, it's rare for a foreign company like Audi to hold an international test drive in Hakone. Why did you choose this location?

We believed it was suitable for evaluating the car. Audi's slogan is "Vorsprung durch Technik," which is based on three pillars: sophistication, advanced technology, and sportiness. Even for a car primarily for urban mobility, Audi ensures it incorporates sportiness. We wanted people to experience this, so we decided to let them test drive the electric vehicle on Hakone's winding roads, which feature many high-speed corners and steep gradients.

—That sounds like approaching it like a hill climb race.

Audi has a history of achieving excellent results in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a traditional race up a 4,300-meter mountain in Colorado. In that sense, we felt Hakone would be a good stage to showcase the performance of the e-tron, embodying the sportiness that Audi has pursued.

Heiko Seegatz

Developing "e-mobility" with Future Technologies

—From my impression of the test drive, the A1 e-tron was a fun-to-drive model with handling like a sports car. The A3 e-tron, on the other hand, had impressive torque and ran very well, with a smooth acceleration that seemed to eliminate the drawbacks of gasoline cars, showcasing a refined quality. The two vehicles seem to have slightly different directions. Why did you choose these specific characteristics?

We can only say that it happened that way. Audi is exploring various possibilities for alternative fuel vehicles. It's fine for the A1 to be a pure EV and the A3 to be a range extender. However, for a compact car like the A1 to also be equipped with a gasoline engine and still perform so well is a performance we want to emphasize.

—So, "e-tron" isn't just one specific model?

That's correct. Audi is currently integrating various future technologies under the umbrella of e-mobility. Vehicles that embody these technologies are given the e-tron name. There are three key elements for Audi right now. First is the Audi Ultra, a hybrid body structure combining aluminum and steel for weight reduction. Second is Audi Connect, a vehicle networking system that integrates and controls all applications for internet connectivity. And third is e-tron.

—So, e-tron is important for Audi's future?

Society is increasingly oriented towards environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles. While gasoline engines convert only about 20% of fuel into power transmitted to the wheels, EVs transmit 60% to the wheels, making them highly efficient. Although the driving feel differs from current Quattro models with internal combustion engines, they fulfill Audi's three values—sophistication, advanced technology, and sportiness—in a different form.

Hybrid Models to be Launched Sequentially from 2012!

—When will these two e-tron models be released?

They are currently under development, so it will likely be some time before they are released. However, hybrid models are scheduled to be sequentially introduced to the market starting in 2012. Following the Q5, A6, and A8, theR8 e-tronis expected to arrive around 2013. In Germany, both corporations (as company cars provided to management form a significant market) and individuals are showing interest in new cars, which is a favorable trend.

—Speaking of new societal trends, what is Audi's approach to Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) power supply?

We receive many questions about this. As the Volkswagen Group, we are interested in the business area of energy sales. We may utilize smart grids.

This research is being conducted nationwide in Germany. How to build a system that stores energy and distributes it to homes via a network is a challenge we will tackle over the next 10 years. We will work on this together with group companies such as Volkswagen and Porsche.