Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 99

“We’ll have to say good-
bye to engine noise of
the kind we are used to.”
Wolfgang Egger, Head of Design
for the Audi Group
“With the electric car
we can change the
complete design.”
Stefan Sielaff , Head of Audi Design
an instinctive, emotional component.
With the steering wheel, we pursue our
dream of power, speed and freedom.
When you consider the prevalence of
SUVs in large cities, you realize that
they appeal to a need many people
have in common. They want some
way to get out of their daily routine
and into a country feeling. It’s purely
about emotions. What emotions do
you want to touch with your electric
cars, Mr. Egger?
Egger: We want to keep on creating
and fulfi lling dreams for our customers
and ourselves. In the electric future
we’ll continue to meet the challenge
of making mobility a good experience.
The values we stand for today – sporty,
progressive, sophisticated – must
absolutely remain valid and evident in
the electric future.
INTERVIEW | PETER WIPPERMANN
e-tron wheels of
aluminum and
carbon in the
“fl ow cut” design.
Today’s air scoops are almost
reminiscent of those familiar from
jet fi ghters.
Egger: The parallel to aeronautics is
correct. And there are similar ones
to marine engineering. Nautical and
aerospace styling in particular is
infl uencing current car design.
Mr. Sielaff , another question about
the interior: How will you integrate
the Internet – something invisible
that’s very diffi cult to express in
a design?
Sielaff : You would hardly be able to
drive at 220 km/h on the highway
while surfi ng the Internet. That means
we’ll have to fi nd ways of using the
Internet while driving. Perhaps by
voice operation; or maybe you could
have something read out to you.
When will the steering wheel
disappear? Couldn’t it be replaced by
a control stick or a touchscreen?
Egger: I don’t think so. There have
been attempts to do so in the past.
But everybody came back to the
steering wheel. Because it embodies
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Watch the interview with the
Audi chief designers here:
www.audi.com/ar2010/design