Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 174

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
PRODUCT-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
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PRODUCT-BASED
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
/FUTURE MOBILITY
With our innovative products, technologies and services, we
play a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobility and bring
“Vorsprung durch Technik” to life. We attach great importance
to reconciling driving pleasure, sportiness and comfort with
reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and using finite
resources responsibly.
We will consistently apply the insights gained through the
diesel issue in current and future development projects.
In the year under review, we reaffirmed our innovativeness in
engine development with the new 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder engine.
This efficient two-liter gasoline engine with its new combustion
principle develops an output of 140 kW (190 hp) and has an
average fuel consumption of 4.8 to 5.9 liters of premium-
grade fuel per 100 kilometers in the new Audi A4 Sedan.
Weighing around 140 kilograms, the 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder
engine also features additional efficiency technologies. For
example, coolant flows are regulated in such a way as to keep
the engine’s warming-up phase very short – the exhaust mani-
fold integrated into the cylinder head plays an instrumental
role in that.
The development of alternative drive concepts is gaining in-
creasing prominence among our research and development
activities. We group together all activities concerned with
electric driving under the term Audi e-tron. In the year under
review, we exhibited the Audi e-tron quattro concept at the
2015 International Motor Show (IAA). This technology study
offers a real glimpse of electric mobility at Audi. We are pursu-
ing a holistic approach that takes account of every aspect of
electric driving. Advances in the field of charging technology
are an important factor. For example, we have made further
progress with Audi Wireless Charging (AWC) – automatic,
contactless charging by induction – in the Audi e-tron quattro
concept technology study.
More details can be found under
“Audi e-tron” on page 151 f.
Further information can be found under
“Charging technologies” on page 152.
In addition, Audi has been involved in the development of
synthetic fuels since 2009. The Audi e-gas plant in Werlte,
Lower Saxony, is one example: It has now been producing
synthetic methane – known as Audi e-gas – from green elec-
tricity, water and CO2 since 2013. This power-to-gas facility
converts power from a variety of sources such as wind and
solar into synthetic gas. Drivers of the Audi A3 Sportback
g-tron can pay for fuel at CNG (compressed natural gas) filling
stations with the Audi e-gas fuel card. Audi then supplies the
corresponding amount of e-gas into Germany’s natural gas
network from the Werlte facility. This means the vehicle runs
with a largely carbon-neutral footprint. The A3 Sportback
g-tron can also run on natural gas or conventional fuel. At the
turn of 2016/2017, we will be gradually rolling out the second
g-tron model in the shape of the Audi A4 Avant g-tron.
Audi is also working on the development of carbon-neutral
synthetic fuels, known as Audi e-fuels. The last fiscal year
yielded initial progress for us and one of our strategic partners
at the pilot plant in Dresden. Four months after commission-
ing the facility, we succeeded in producing Audi e-diesel from
water, CO2 and green power, without the need for mineral oil.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
For us, corporate responsibility means taking account of economic, social and
ecological aspects in corporate decisions. It is our ambition to act in a
comprehensively responsible manner. This impacts our products and services,
the entire value chain, our employees and the social involvement of Audi.
Further information on corporate responsibility can also be found at
www.audi.com/cr.