Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 69

66
_ Innovation
“More cars, better
mileage, higher
speeds, fewer
emissions – this
may sound contra-
dictory, but it isn’t.”
PHOTO | THOMAS DASHUBER/MUNICH
Professor Laurence C. Smith
Rupert Stadler: I sometimes need to
make predictions about the future, but
jumping ahead two whole generations
and describing “The World in 2050”
sounds really exciting to me.
Prof. Laurence C. Smith: Writing
this book was the most exciting time
of my life. As a climatologist, I am
constantly asking myself how global
warming will aff ect mankind and
the ecosystem. I took almost two
full years to travel around the world,
because I wanted to see with my
own eyes how scientists, politicians,
businessmen and citizens view the
future. Following this research
journey, a lot of things have become
clearer to me regarding the future
of our planet. What I’d like to know
myself is: How does it feel to be
running a company in an industry that
is going through a process of change?
Stadler: First and foremost, I feel
personally responsible for just under
64,000 staff . I was born in the area.
Audi has always been a part of my life,
and it has always deeply fascinated
me. I take pride in contributing my
share every day.
Prof. Smith: We’ve just reached the
fi gure of seven billion people on
Earth. For a major carmaker, strong
population growth is a two-edged
sword: plenty of customers on the
one hand, increasing problems with
resources, the environment and
congestion on the other.
Stadler: In the short term, what
matters is raising powertrain effi -
ciency. In the medium term, it will
be securing individual mobility
with a broad spectrum of propulsion
options, and long-term, we will need
to do without crude oil as a source
of energy. Customer needs, too,
will become much more diverse in the
future. This is why we are evolving
from a carmaker into a supplier of
mobility. This includes new mobility
services and the question of whether
some customers will soon be looking
for concepts that are no longer tied
to buying a car.
Prof. Smith: What might these
concepts look like?
Stadler: Perhaps one day the customer
will be able to book diff erent vehicles
for diff erent needs for a fl at fee. We
will leave well-trodden paths behind.
Prof. Smith: Do you see any
country in the world that is making
strong headway in developing its
transportation system?
Stadler: There are a number of
emerging-market countries that are
much faster than we are in executing
infrastructure projects. This creates
an advantage for them in global
competition. In these countries,
mobility
is seen as something
thoroughly
positive, because people
“Our engineers are
working relentlessly on
innovations enabling more
sustainability.” Rupert Stadler
Rupert Stadler explains the
operating system of the future
to Professor Laurence C. Smith
in the A2 concept.
the future
Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management
of AUDI AG, talks to American researcher and
writer Professor Laurence C. Smith about challenges
in the future.
Exchange of views
Editor | Dr. Hajo Schumacher
Shapin
g
Fuel consumption and emission fi gures at the end of the Annual Report