Audi 2012 Annual Report Download - page 186

189
Management Report
140 Audi Group
151 Business and underlying
situation
173 Financial performance
indicators
176 Social and ecological aspects
176 Corporate responsibility
177 Employees
181 Audi in society
182 Location-based
environmental aspects
186 Product-based
environmental aspects
190 Risks, opportunities
and outlook
201 Disclaimer
improving vehicle efficiency. Lightweight construction is also strategically important with regard
to electric mobility because it can help offset the battery’s high weight and thus improve the
agility of vehicles. Within the framework of Strategy 2020, all lightweight technologies and
activities are now grouped together under the Audi ultra name. Audi has set itself the task of
making future models lighter than their predecessors.
The Audi brand has many years of experience in lightweight construction technology and has a
proven track record of success in this domain. Its Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology in particular
proved a trailblazing development on the Audi A8 launched in 1994, the world’s first volume-
built vehicle with a unitary aluminum body. Over 750,000 vehicles have now been built using the
ASF principle, whether made entirely from aluminum or using aluminum hybrid designs.
The aim is to employ the optimum material at every point, in the interests of achieving the best
possible performance. As well as aluminum and high-strength steels, carbon fiber-reinforced
polymers (CFRP) and magnesium are finding increasing use. But the Audi ultra lightweight con-
struction principle does not mean that we just concern ourselves with the body or with assemblies
and components. Rather, we look at the vehicle as a whole when seeking to avoid unnecessary
weight. We have thus been able to reduce the weight of the new models in the A3 car line by up
to 90 kilograms despite higher safety standards and improved comfort requirements.
Models up to 140 g CO₂/km
Even though its vehicles have become more powerful, the Audi brand has steadily improved
their efficiency thanks to innovative technologies from its modular efficiency platform. As of
the end of the past fiscal year, it had 104 model versions in total with CO2 emissions of up to
just 140 g/km. There were even 36 drivetrain versions achieving CO2 emissions figures of up
to 120 g/km. The best performers were four model versions of the A1 car line and two model
versions of the A3 car line, with 99 g of CO2/km.
Provisional calculations indicate that the average CO2 emissions figure of new vehicles sold in
the European Union (EU 27) in 2012 was around 138 g/km.
AUDI MODELS UP TO 140 GRAMS CO2/KM, 120 GRAMS CO2/KM AND 100 GRAMS CO2/KM (YEAR-END POSITION)
Further remarks on the subject of the environment can be found on the Internet at
www.audi.com/environmental-protection and on the Group portal at
www.volkswagen-sustainability.com.
20
60
40
80
100
201120102009 2012
41 54 102 104
14 17 32 36
1256
Number of Audi models
≤ 140 g CO2/km
Number of Audi models
≤ 120 g CO2/km
Number of Audi models
≤ 100 g CO2/km