Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 77

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This knocks an additional fi gure of
some 26,000 tons off the annual CO2
emissions total.
In Dezhou, companies that have high
CO2 emission levels and do not switch
over to climate-friendly energy are not
allowed to locate to Solar Valley in the
fi rst place. And precisely for this reason
the city is growing rapidly. Because of
the boom in the solar industry a lot of
people moved to Dezhou, which led to
its population rising from the 1980s
by more than a million to 5.5 million.
Wu Cuiyun believes urbanization
marks an opportunity to advance
many new developments. At the
same time, she has to respond to the
dramatic increase in traffi c that the
city’s growth has brought with it.
“I expect that the automobile industry
will play its part in shaping future
mobility, for example in the form
of new drive systems or space-saving
city cars,” she says. Stadler is keenly
aware of the responsibility involved:
“Audi is prepared for the challenges
of tomorrow.” The decision to take
the A1 Mega City Vehicle to market in
China was itself already a response to
the urbanization trend.
“We have solutions for the widest
range of diff erent mobility require-
ments, and that includes for Dezhou.
The major trend continues to be
electric mobility,” says the Chairman
of AUDI AG. Urban electric cars in big
Chinese cities need not necessarily
be four-seaters, and the lower speeds
driven in cities mean the car requires
less aerodynamic adjustment and can
even get by without an engine hood.
This would leave more space on the
streets of Dezhou. “That would be an
important step in the right direction in
terms of both environmental policy and
infrastructure,” Wu Cuiyun notes. While
Stadler fully prioritizes individual
mobility, the mayor also believes there
are prospects for public transport.
For example, the Chinese government
is already building a new high-speed
rail link between Dezhou and Beijing
that will cover the distance of more
than 300 kilometers in less than an
hour. A new interstate connecting the
Solar Valley to the Chinese capital has
already opened. “Now all that we need
are recharger stations powered by solar
energy,” comments Stadler.
After all, both fi rmly agree that in
China and in Germany alike the future
of our cities will be defi ned by electric
mobility and renewable energy sources.
It is ultimately one and the same sun
that allows reality and vision to shine
forth in both countries.
CHRISTINE MAUKEL
Click here to discover China’s
Solar Valley in Dezhou:
www.audi.com/ar2010/solar
Solar traffi c lights – a customary sight
for schoolchildren in Dezhou.
The Solar Queen
Mayor Wu Cuiyun dreams of a
future where she hears more birds
chirping. Thanks to solar power.
O