Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 159

ECONOMIC REPORT
PRODUCTION
>> 159
/EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE
GROUP LOCATIONS
As part of our growth strategy, we are steadily expanding our
product portfolio as well as our national and international
production capacities.
// NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE INGOLSTADT SITE
In summer 2015, we celebrated the topping-out ceremony for
a new paint shop at the north end of the Ingolstadt site; this is
one of the most eco-friendly facilities of its type in the world.
From June 2016, the first series-production bodies for the new
Audi A4 will be sprayed at the new paint shop, which has a
total floor area of around 12,000 square meters. It will there-
fore handle up to one-third of the total output of more than
2,500 vehicle bodies per day. We also successfully completed
the production start of the new Audi A4 in the past fiscal year.
With the Audi Q2 in 2016, we will be offering our customers a
new gateway to the popular SUV segment. We made further
progress with the preparations for its series production at the
Ingolstadt plant in the year under review.
Our new Lighting Assistance Center was opened at the start of
2015. Measuring 120 meters in length, it is the largest drivable
light tunnel in Europe.
Further information on the light tunnel and Audi
lighting technology can be found under “Research
and development” on pages 149 ff.
To the south of the plant, on a site covering a total of 28,000
square meters, a building complex that will house around
2,800 modern office workstations is taking shape. The first
phase of the project is on track for completion by mid-2016
and will provide extra capacity necessitated by the Company’s
general growth.
// SETTING THE FUTURE DIRECTION IN NECKARSULM
Work is progressing on two major projects at the Neckarsulm
site. A new assembly hall covering 38,000 square meters is
due to go into operation in spring 2016. The 2016 fiscal year
will also see the completion of work on a new body shop for
future models at the north end of the plant.
// PRODUCTION START IN BRAZIL
Our newest location in São José dos Pinhais, near Curitiba
(Brazil), commenced production in fall 2015. The A3 Sedan
already built there will be joined by the Audi Q3 from 2016.
Our location in South America marks another milestone in our
worldwide expansion strategy and establishes the basis for
further growth in that region.
// NEW PLANT IN MEXICO ON TRACK
In San José Chiapa (Mexico), we are preparing for the produc-
tion start of the second-generation Audi Q5. From the second
half of 2016, we will be building our best-seller in the SUV
segment at the most modern production facility in the
Audi Group. The new location covers a total area of around
465 hectares, almost twice the area of our plant in Ingolstadt.
// VOLUME PRODUCTION OF THE FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC
SUV IN BRUSSELS ANNOUNCED
Volume production of our first all-electric-drive SUV, which will
be positioned between the Audi Q7 and Audi Q5, is to start at
the Brussels site in 2018. The plant will also be equipped with
a dedicated battery production line. Production of the Audi A1
is to be transferred from Belgium to Martorell (Spain). The
Audi Q3 currently being built in Spain will then be produced in
Győr (Hungary). This arrangement will enable us to realize
additional cross-brand synergies, pool vital core competencies,
increase our production efficiency and advance with the inter-
nationalization of the production network.
// ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW LAMBORGHINI SUV
In the 2015 fiscal year, the Lamborghini brand announced the
production of a new luxury SUV, to appear on the market in
2018. Lamborghini is to invest extensively for its production at
the company headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy).
Plans include increasing the developed area of the site from
currently 80,000 square meters to almost double that figure,
and taking on 500 additional employees.