Sales and revenues rise in “challenging” year for Audi
16/03/2017
Its revenues also increased, rising by 8.2% to reach €59.3 billion. However, special provisions to help resolve controversies surrounding parent group Volkswagen’s misrepresentation of the emissions-effectiveness of some of its diesel engines, and surrounding airbags from Japanese supplier Takata, affected profits, leaving the figure for 2016 at €3.1 billion.
This led Audi chairman to describe 2016 as “a very challenging year for our company” when he addressed a press conference on March 15.
In setting Audi’s course for the future, Mr Stadler said the company would launch three battery-electric models by the year 2020 and would electrify additional model series after that. As part of its electric initiative, Audi has already trained more than 6,000 employees to work with high-voltage technology over the past three years. It is also involved in the development of a public fast-charging infrastructure.
It is also pressing ahead with the technology for self-driving cars, the chairman said. A newly founded subsidiary, Autonomous Intelligent Driving GmbH in Munich, is working on a system for autonomous vehicles in cities. The company is open to co-operation with external partners in the automotive and IT sectors to develop this further.
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