Volkswagen’s luxury offering is preparing for a hectic fiscal year during 2018. In a media communication, Audi indicated that the sub-brand is planning to undergo a large business transformation over the next several months, increasing its operating and development budgets for new ventures that are just on the horizon. With more than 20 new launches in 2018, Audi plans to manage what it’s calling the “biggest model initiative in its history.”
Specifically, the Germans mention that they expect a challenging year ahead. With numerous phase-outs and its overall largest number of same-year model launches happening at once, Audi is coming back strong after facing continuous suffering throughout 2017 on the heels of the dreaded Dieselgate controversy. Given that it expects to launch 20 new models, including redesigns to its existing lineup, a newest Q8 SUV, and potentially a plethora of offerings to the electrified sector, this equates to a new model roughly once every three weeks.
There’s no mistaking that Volkswagen wants to be one of the leading forces in the race to electrification supremacy. One of the largest changes that is nearing release is the e-tron, Audi’s newest electric SUV that it plans on launching in the near future. With this product launch, Audi is planning on restructuring the entire way that its automobiles are being assembled in hopes of streamlining its product development and releases in the future.
“We interpret sportiness very progressively with our fully electric e-tron GT,” said Audi board chairman Rupert Stadler, “And this is how we will take our high-performance brand Audi Sport into the future.”
From Audi to Volkswagen, the German auto group’s entire lineup is undergoing change to help keep the automotive giant on top. It’s calling the 2018 move on electric mobility its “Vorsprung 2025” plan, loosely translating to “head start” and a derivative of its former slogan, “Vorsprung durch Technik.” If that small wording is any indication of the bullheaded approach that Audi and its parent company is taking into the future, other key players in electric mobility should watch out.
In all, Volkswagen and its child brands plan to launch 20 electrified models by 2025 and has already begun to allocate the manufacturing space to meet its goals. Despite the increased workload, Audi expects to continue to meet its volume of vehicle deliveries achieved in 2017 and even surpass its record-breaking revenue, though acknowledges it may have a “dampening effect” due to the numerous model changes.