Audi is further expanding the biggest investment program in its history. From 2015 through 2019, the Ingolstadt-based company plans to invest €24bn, €2bn more than in the previous planning period.

The majority of the investment will be for the development of new models and technologies, including a new generation of extremely economical combustion engines and alternative efficiency technologies. There will also be new developments in the areas of connectivity and driver assistance.

‘We place top priority on sustainable growth. That’s why we are making large investments in the innovative areas of electric mobility, connectivity and lightweight construction,’ said Rupert Stadler, chairman of the Board of Management (CEO) of AudiAG.

By the end of the year 2020, the Ingolstadt-based company intends to expand its model portfolio from 50 to 60 models. A main focus will be on new models in the C and D segments. Audi also intends to expand the Q family, including through the new Audi Q1, which will be produced in Ingolstadt from 2016.

In order to fulfill ambitious CO2 limits, the company is working not only on the next generation of fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines, but also on plug‑in hybrids such as the Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron, which became available in the first markets at the end the year.

‘We are constantly further developing alternative drive systems and focusing above all on connecting the car with its digital environment,’ explained Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s Board of Management Member for Technical Development. ‘The car will communicate with the driver, the internet, the infrastructure and other vehicles, while moving in an environmentally friendly manner.’

At the same time, the company is expanding its worldwide production network. More than half of the planned investment will take place at the German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. The production plant in Ingolstadt is already being prepared for new models. Extensive rebuilding work will start also in Neckarsulm in 2015, in order to prepare the plant for the next generation of the Audi A8 luxury sedan.