Interview: Audi's future Innovations

Hey Guys

At the Geneva Motor Show the other Roadtrippin' Bloggers and I had the Chance to Interview two influental People from Audi – Heinz Hollerweger – Head of Total Vehicle Development and Ricky Hudi, Head of Electrics / Electronics. The Interview was sheduled for 30 minutes and happend right after the first press conference at the first Press Day. Also Markus Keith, Head of Project Management Electrical / Electronic | Head of Project Audi connect, joined the nice Round, he's responsible for the Audi connect functions.

I won't write exactly what we asked, what they answered and bla, because thats boring! ;)

Summarized that's what they said about Audi today and the future.

One of the big new innovations in the future will be to connect the Car with the nature. Sounds weird?! No, it isn't. It simply means that the Car will recognize where you are driving and an assistance system will give you advices on your driving behaviour. For example the Car will be able to „read“ the typography and recommends you to take your foot off the gas pedal as you're close to a city with a strict speed limit to avoid unneccessary speeding, or when you're driving through a mountainous landscape etc. It's all future music, but soon Reality!

Another big thing in the future will be to use the energy better. Examples on this?
While the Audi Q7 is active there are currently 50 to 100 headunits running. Are they used ALL the time? No, not really. So the goal will be that just the headunits you currently need will be running, and the others will stay in stand-by, but nevertheless they will be ready in milliseconds. So no disadvantages for the driver and the passengers, but a not unmentionable reduction of running systems that all need power. And increase your fuel consumption.

But don't be frightened, all this will happen step by step. Up from 2015 the new Audi Q7 and the e-tron models will feature these innovations, and later all models.

Nice for the Digital Natives (and all the others, of course) will be a new Audi connect feature. Through the my.audi Account all your Pictures will be transferred to your Car. You went Sightseeing and snapped a nice Building or Restaurant? And now imagine, your going again to this certain city, yeeears later, and forgot where the Restaurant , where you ate suuuuch good Pasta, was located. But hey, you took the Photo, they were transferred to your Car and as you can transfer all your my.audi Data from Car to Car to Car these Pictures will be still available and you easily find this Restaurant again to enjoy the delicious Pasta again. Cool, eh? ;)
Another feature will be to Google your Destinations via Language authentication. But besides this there's another cool thing coming!

You all already know that you have a WiFi Hotspot (If not you now know it ;-)) coming with your MMI? Of course just when you're using it with a regular sized Sim-Card. The future (and soon to come) plans are to offer an “Online Package” right from the beginning, through Audi. It will cost a very low price a month and through it you will be able to surf all over Europe with no Roaming costs … arr, heaven! (I have no Information about any plans outside Europe, sorry!)

What else will be Part of Audi's Future?
To see where the saving potential lays and to save it.


Lisa

Lisa