“Let’s Talk about Progress”: Audi is putting the spotlight on e-mobility at the IAA motor show, which is being held in Munich for the first time this year. At the “House of Progress” on Wittelsbacherplatz, visitors can discover the all-electric Audi grandsphere concept car, which reinterprets both luxury and mobility. Current electric models from Audi’s lineup will be available for test drives in front of the pavilion, including the dynamic Audi RS e-tron GT and the new Audi Q4 e-tron. At the adjacent “Charging Experience,” the brand with the four rings will be providing information on current and future charging options. Audi is also engaging IAA visitors in a dialog through its interactive “journey2progress” scavenger hunt that introduces them to the brand’s four key values: sustainability, digitalization, performance, and design.
The brand with the four rings is also taking advantage of the transformation of the IAA Mobility into an interactive motor show by turning downtown Munich into one large stage for visitors to experience the mobility of the future. “At the IAA Mobility 2021, we will be showcasing the Audi brand’s future direction and focusing on the transformation toward e-mobility. The Audi grandsphere concept reveals how we envision the future of premium mobility: connected, sustainable, electric, autonomous. But we’ll also see technologies from the show car in production models in the coming years,” explained Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG.
“Let’s Talk about Progress”: Audi at the IAA Mobility 2021
The Audi experience at the motor show begins at the carbon-neutral “House of Progress,” the brand with the four rings’ dedicated pavilion on Wittelsbacherplatz in Munich. This is where Audi will introduce visitors to the brand’s four values of sustainability, digitalization, design, and performance – by exhibiting recycled materials used in the Audi Q4 e-tron, for example, or with a large light installation showcasing the company’s digital matrix technology, laser technology, and digital OLED technology. The centerpiece of the “House of Progress” is the Audi grandsphere concept, which provides a glimpse into the future of the brand with the four rings. The all-electric concept car features numerous technologies that will be found in future Audi production models within a few years. Level 4 autonomous driving, for example, opens up a whole new world of freedom, with the steering wheel, pedals, and displays retracting out of sight. As a result, the interior transforms into a spacious lounge with an unobstructed view and access to all the features of the holistic digital ecosystem that the Audi grandsphere is integrated into.
The concept car will be accompanied by current Audi models. For example, visitors can get up close and personal with the Audi RS e-tron GT, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, and the Audi e-tron 55 quattro. In addition, the Audi RS 3 Sportback, which will make its trade show debut at IAA Mobility 2021, will be on display starting on September 10.
All-electric Audi models available for test drives
Out in front of the “House of Progress,” the focus will also be squarely on e-mobility. Visitors will have the opportunity to take the all-electric Audi RS e-tron GT, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron for a test drive. In addition, the adjacent “Charging Experience” will offer 360 square meters of information on current and future charging technologies. The Power cube, for example, offers a glimpse of premium fast charging. A particularly sustainable solution thanks to the use of second-life e-tron batteries as a buffer, the charging station offers six charging ports with either two 150 kW or four 75 kW charging connectors. The Audi e-tron Charging Service is already impressing customers today, providing access to 250,000 charging points in 26 countries at preferential rates of 31 cents per kWh via a single charging card. The brand with the four rings also offers customized charging systems and wall boxes for charging at home.
Interactive “journey2progress” scavenger hunt introduces Audi brand values to visitors
The “House of Progress” is also the beginning of the “journey2progress,” a modern interpretation of an interactive scavenger hunt that leads participants through four themed stations – representing the brand’s four core values and the four rings in the Audi logo. At the Park Café (Sophienstr. 7, 80333 Munich), the premium manufacturer will explore the topic of sustainability, while Munich-based Audi Business Innovation GmbH (Hochbrückenstr. 6, 80331 Munich) will highlight the digital services offered by the brand with the four rings. At FC Bayern World (Weinstr. 7, 80333 Munich), the third of the four themed stations, the focus will be on the performance of the Audi brand, while at the Haus der Kunst art museum (Prinzregentenstr. 1, 80538 Munich), the spotlight will, in turn, be on design. During the “journey2progress,” which changes daily, not only can participants learn all about the Audi brand, but those who use the QR codes to solve the puzzles at the four stations also have the chance to win one of four exclusive grand prizes. Audi is offering the chance to meet former alpine ski racer Felix Neureuther, to accompany FC Bayern München on a special flight to a UEFA Champions League away game, to go on an influencer tour with TV host Kai Pflaume, or to take a look behind the scenes with Audi’s Head of Design Marc Lichte.
Audi Brand Talks with distinguished guests and interesting topics
The Audi Brand Talks will feature Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing, and Henrik Wenders, Head of Audi Brand, among others, in a dialog with a variety of exciting guests such as Oliver Kahn, Member of the Executive Board of FC Bayern Munich, and Nico Rosberg. In these panel discussions, visitors will learn more about Audi’s brand strategy, which focuses on people and their values and needs.
Talks such as “The Interior of the Future” and “Autonomous Driving” will highlight how the key issues of sustainability, digitalization, design, and performance will shape the automotive future. The Audi grandsphere concept car will also be presented in detail.
Autonomous driving: demo drives at the Messe West parking garage
Visitors to IAA Mobility 2021 will be able to see the practical benefits of autonomous driving for themselves at the Messe West parking garage, where automated valet parking (AVP) will be demonstrated several times a day by experts from CARIAD, the automotive software subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. AVP refers to low-speed driverless driving, maneuvering, and parking in a parking garage designed specifically for this purpose. If a car is equipped with the level of technology required for autonomous driving and if the appropriate infrastructure is installed in the parking garage, the vehicle is capable of parking itself without a driver.
An additional vehicle exhibition at Munich Airport will round out AUDI AG’s IAA appearance – the Audi RS e-tron GT, the Audi e-tron S, the Audi e-tron S Sportback, the Audi Q4 e-tron, and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron will all be on display there.
Here, too, the brand with the four rings is putting the spotlight on e-mobility and underscoring its leading position in this domain.