Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 149

ECONOMIC REPORT
BUSINESS AND UNDERLYING SITUATION // RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
>> 149
of the real world. The purpose of the acquisition is to secure
the long-term availability of HERE products and services as an
open, independent and value-enhancing platform for cloud-
based maps and mobility services that can be accessed by all
customers from the automotive industry and other sectors. We
see it as a unique opportunity to develop further innovative
mobility services for the future and to offer them to our cus-
tomers.
/// PRECAUTIONARY AIRBAG RECALL
Audi, along with other automotive manufacturers, has been
informed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion (NHTSA) that certain driver airbags made by the Japanese
airbag manufacturer Takata might be faulty. On the advice of
NHTSA, the Audi Group will recall 170,000 vehicles of the model
years 2005 to 2013 as a precaution. This measure will result in a
negative special item amounting to EUR 70 million.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Research and Development area is of key importance for
the long-term success of a premium car manufacturer. The
Audi brand concentrates above all on the development of
innovative engines, alternative drive concepts, lightweight
construction and design. Other focal areas include the system-
atic development of infotainment solutions, driver assistance
systems and piloted driving.
In the year under review, the Audi Group employed
12,646 (10,970) people on average in Research and Develop-
ment. We also built up our internal expertise compared with
the previous year.
Workforce in the Research and Development area
Average for the year 2015 2014
AUDI AG 9,947 8,467
AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. 290 252
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. 305 267
Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. 783 764
PSW automotive
engineering GmbH 827 729
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. 220 201
Other 274 290
Workforce in the Research and
Development area 12,646 10,970
In the past fiscal year, the research and development activities
of the Audi Group reached a total of EUR 4,240 (4,316) mil-
lion. This represents 7.3 (8.0) percent of revenue. We capital-
ized development costs amounting to EUR 1,262 (1,311)
million, representing a capitalization quota of 29.8 (30.4)
percent. The amortization of and impairment losses (reversals)
on capitalized development costs totaled EUR 739 (681) mil-
lion for the year under review.
Research and development activities
EUR million 2015 2014
Research expense and non-
capitalized development costs 2,979 3,005
Capitalized development costs 1,262 1,311
Research and development
activities 4,240 4,316
/TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS
// OUR DRIVE SYSTEMS – DRIVING PLEASURE
AND EFFICIENCY
We continued to develop our innovative drive technologies in
the past fiscal year. This applies to both combustion engines
and alternative drive forms.
With our combustion engines, we want to provide our customers
with dynamic performance coupled with the lowest possible
fuel consumption. We are pursuing the rightsizing principle to
achieve this – our focus is on finding the optimum combination
of vehicle category, displacement, power output, torque and
efficiency behavior in everyday operating conditions. One ex-
ample of the Audi rightsizing strategy is the new 2.0 TFSI four-
cylinder engine – a two-liter gasoline engine with innovative
combustion principle. This engine has been installed in the
new Audi A4 since the end of 2015 where it fits perfectly with
the S tronic transmission version or with a six-speed manual
transmission. The efficient power unit with an output of
140 kW (190 hp) uses an average of 5.0 to 6.0 liters of premi-
um-grade fuel per 100 kilometers in the new Audi A4 Avant,
and an average of 4.8 to 5.9 liters of premium-grade fuel per
100 kilometers in the new Audi A4 Sedan. That equates to CO2
emissions of 114 to 136 g/km and 109 to 134 g/km respectively.