audi encounter technology magazine 12-20-2011

8/20/2019 Audi Encounter Technology Magazine 12-20-2011

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The Audi Technology Magazine

1/2012

ultra

e-tron

by-wireDrive-by-wire

How Audi is working on the

new networking

Lightweight Design

How Audi intelligently combines

state-of-the-art materials

connectMy MMI

How Audi facilitates

personalization

at the touch of a button

assistAssistance SystemsHow new in-car intelligence

helps to avoid accidents

Test in Munich

How Audi is gathering

experience with

electromobility in everyday use


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Download the junaio app from

the App Store or AndroidMarketplace to your phone or

mobile device.

Start up the junaio app and

search for Audi.

Encounter Augmented Reality Experience video footage with your iPhone,iPad or Android smartphone.

Open the channelAudi Encounter.

Scan this magazine’s imagestagged with the Audi AugmentedReality Logo.

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Audi Encounter

The Audi Technology Magazine

1/2012


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3Encounter Technology Encounter Technology

Working on the future of the automobileis one of the most exciting jobs of our time. Michael Dick

Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG,Technical Development

Working on the future of the automobile is surely one

of the most exciting jobs of our time. The challenges have never

been so great, the path to solutions so complex and the techno-

ogical approaches so varied.

Yet our task is clear – to secure an individual mobility for

he future that conserves resources. And we will be successful, be-

ause we will make determined use of technological progress

cross all disciplines – in new kinds of drive, as well as the opportu-

nities presented by the networking of knowledge and functions.

Vorsprung durch Technik” is the genetic core of the Audi brand –

nd a challenge set for our employees every single day.

It is in this spirit that we at Audi are working on a great

many good ideas – on technologies and functions that, just a short

ime ago, seemed impossible. But the enormous progress made in

lectrics and electronics in particular has given the automobile a

whole new kind of intelligence. It communicates with its environ-

ment, it recognizes the threat of danger and it avoids accidents.

Over the next few years we will see a whole host of new assistance

ystems that not only add significantly to comfort levels, but, more

mportantly, deliver a whole new level of road safety.

In this new issue of the Audi Technology Magazine we

present you with a great many of our ideas. We would like to show

you that we are working on new mobility concepts, how issues like

efficiency and lightweight design shape our thinking and our ac-

tions, and how we use state-of-the-art technology to increase the

level of driving fun while, at the same time, significantly reducing

fuel consumption.

Every Audi is a unique product with a clear character and

distinct genes. But it should also fit perfectly to the individual life-

style of its owner and driver. At time of purchase, an Audi can be

designed from a virtually inexhaustible range of options and pos-

sibilities to suit his very own style. With Audi drive select, the vehi-

cle can be adapted to the preferred driving style every day and at

any given moment. And in future, it will be possible to individualize

even the sound of the vehicle or its display systems and operating

elements.

Take a look through this magazine and discover a few of the ideas

with which we are approaching the future. Happy reading.

Yours truly,


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4 5Encounter Technology Encounter Technology

Drive-by-wire

In by-wire technology, steering, braking and shift commands are

transmitted by wire. Electrical components replace mechanical and hydraulic parts.

Audi is researching all aspects of this topic.

1:1is the scale of theby-wire technology model.

→ page 54


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7 Encounter Technology

Exterior Refinements

The Audi R8 e-tron high-performance sports car has a battery-electric drive.

Its refined aerodynamics make a significant contribution to its intelligent energy

management and to its range.

0.32is the current cd figurefor the technology showcase.

→ page 24


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9Encounter Technology Encounter Technology

An Audi – as personal as a finger print

In its Audi exclusive division, quattro GmbH fulfils even the

most unusual customer desires. Individual one-offs are created in the workshop

at the Neckarsulm plant.

3hours is the time it takes to clad asteering wheel manually with leather.

→ page 124


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The right material in the right place

Audi is extending its leadership in lightweight design.

A team of experts is developing the new Multimaterial

Space Frame, which brings together metal and fiber-reinforced polymers.

198kilograms is the weight of the R8 bodyshellmade from CFRP and aluminum.

→ page 60


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Light becomes 3-dimensional

With MID technology, Audi is opening up the third

imension of vehicle lighting. And the lighting engineers still have plenty

more irons in the fire.

52LEDs are in the two hemispheresof the the MID light unit.

→ page 84


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Mindset It was the courage to innovate that put Audi atthe top. The company wants to build on that progress, with a constantflow of new ideas and with a clear approach.Mindset.

16 Out of the box24 e-rodynamic30 China Daily38 Science Faction44 Powered Up


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Outof the box

Innovation As head of think tank “Bauhaus Luftfahrt”,Prof. Dr. Mirko Hornung is one of the foremost minds in the fieldof aviation. He speaks with Audi Board Member for TechnicalDevelopment Michael Dick about lifecycles, regenerative fuels andcars that can find their own parking spot – or even fly.

Ideas for new mobility – Michael Dick (left)in conversation with Professor Mirko Hornung.


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With the Audi urban concept, we have pre-sented an idea of how we envisage theway we might drive in metropolitan areas infuture – with electric drive, a high levelof safety and a clear promise of driving fun. Michael Dick

Today’s new aircraft models will stillbe flying in 2040. After that, however, therewill have to be some very different air-craft concepts – most likely with a radicaldeparture from the current designs.

Mirko Hornung

Herr Hornung, Herr Dick, you are both

working on the future of mobility, on the

oad and in the air. And you both have to think beyond the fa-

miliar construct. How will we fly tomorrow and how will we drive?

Hornung: For civil aviation passengers rather little

s likely to change over the next few decades. This is due to the

product cycle being far longer than for, say, automobiles. Today’s

new aircraft such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A 350 will still

be flying in the year 2040. After that, however, there will have to

be some very different aircraft concepts – most likely with a radical

eparture from the current designs.

You have brought along a model that looks very

unusual indeed.

Hornung: The Claire Liner is an aircraft concept devel-

oped by Bauhaus Luftfahrt for transfer between the mega-cities of

he future. With its circumferential airfoils and decoupled drive,

we were able to reduce significantly its kerosene consumption and

noise emissions. Our drive concept separates the core drive unit

nd thus the power generation from the means of forward propul-

ion, known in the trade as “fans”. This enables the use of a larger

proportion of the airflow for propulsion and delivers a far higher

degree of efficiency. Two turbines at the rear drive the four fans.

We now have the first gearboxes actually capable of transmitting

hese hundreds of megawatts of power.

Dick: What is the purpose of the unusual wing shape?

Hornung: These box-wing airfoils deliver greater effi-

iency, less drag and less weight. With a conventional wing, the

urbulence at the tips generates the largest proportion of drag. A

losed wing eliminates this turbulence.

Dick: When can we expect to see a prototype?

Hornung: For us, the Claire Liner is primarily an i ntegra-

ion platform for new technologies. A flying prototype would call

or a great deal more development work and financial investment.

Herr Dick, you, too, have brought an unusual idea

with you – in one-to-one scale.

Dick: With the Audi urban concept, we have presented

proposal for how we might imagine tomorrow’s driving in these

metropolitan areas – as a new, young mobility concept with electric

drive, with a high standard of safety and with a clear promise of

riving fun. During the development process we showed the project

o our children, who gave a lot of good input. At the end of the day,

he urban concept is a minimalist concept for young people, to suit

heir habits and their changed approach to many of life’s issues.

The reaction at the Frankfurt Auto Show was amazingly good

nd, since then, we have discussed it with more potential custom-

r groups like parents with children. We are still working on t his

oncept, which could enter series production, although we have yet

o reach a decision on that.

extermann Reil

PhotosMyrzik und Jarisch

Idea for new flying – the Claire Liner concept air-plane promises considerably lower emissions.

Idea for new driving – the Audi urban concept is ayoung mobility concept for metropolitan areas.

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* See glossary, p. 142

Professor Dr.-Ing. Mirko Hornung heads up the BauhausLuftfahrt e.V. in Munich as Director of Research and

Technology. Hornung is also a professor in the AviationSystems Department at the Technical University ofMunich. Previously, Hornung held management positonswith aerospace group EADS.


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And how are you supposed to achieve that when the

aircraft remain the same?

Hornung: The aircraft now entering service will fly

for the next 40 years. A completely new airplane delivers a 15

percent improvement in efficiency. On average for the fleet that

means an annual improvement of around 1.5 percent. But the ex-

pected growth rate stands at 4.5 percent per year – i.e. three times

that amount. The short and mid-term solution is, to put it simply

– the same plane, different fuel . Energy generated from renew-

able sources is our bridging technology for the next 20 to 30

years. The next major step for the airplanes themselves will not

come before 2030. Everything until then is already technologi-

cally set in stone.

Dick: We call our idea for tha t Balanced Mobility. We

will generate natural gas from available wind energy and use an

available infrastructure for its distribution – i.e. the natural gas

network. The seriousness of this concept was doubted by some in

the beginning, but now it is finding an increasing amount of sup-

port. With the generation of natural gas from renewable sources,

we can continue to use the highly developed technology of the

internal combustion engine in a way that is CO₂ neutral. That seems

to us like a highly intelligent way forward.

Hornung: In the aviation industry, we are working with

similar targets. In a project with ETH Zürich, we are researching

a concept whereby synthetic gas can be produced directly from

solar energy using a catalytic process and then converted into syn-

thetic kerosene. This is looking like a highly promising approach.

We, too, have an enormous bandwidth of possibilities and ideas

from which we are trying to identify the right ways forward.

How much potential for optimization is there still

within current aircraft technology?

Hornung: A great deal has already been done and al-

most everything has been teased out. Since the Boeing 707, the

mother of modern commercial airliners, consumption and emis-

sions have been reduced by more than 70 percent. A fully loaded A

380 now consumes around 3.3 liters per 100 passenger kilome-

ters. We are now at the limit in all individual disciplines such as

aerodynamics. There is not much left to be gained. We are now

making increased use of synergy effects – for example, the wings

on the latest aircraft designs are constructed with a great deal

more flexibility. This doesn’t deliver any aerodynamic benefits,

but reduces structural loads as part of the design criteria, meaning

that the aircraft can be more lightweight. One interesting potential

at the moment is in the drives. The new engines for the future A 320

New Engine Option promise savings of around 15 percent.

Dick: We can match that. Audi has developed a new

generation of the 1.8 liter TFSI with virtually every refinement

the very latest engine technology has to offer. We have been able

to reduce the average fuel consumption of the facelifted Audi A4

by 19 percent.

One major issue for commercial aircraft is currently

carbon-fiber design. What does that have to offer?

Hornung: Considered purely on the basis of efficiency

improvement, carbon-fiber structures have relatively little to offer

compared with improvements in drive technology, perhaps three

to four percent. When it comes to weight, the current aluminum

approach is already very good. Fiber composite technology, how-

ever, can help in other areas to reduce mass – for instance, through

new climate control concepts for the cabin.

Dick: When it comes to lightweight design, we work on

the basis of an intelligent mix – fiber-reinforced materials in com-

bination with aluminum and high-strength steels. In future, we

will take the entire energy requirement of a vehicle into consider-

ation, including the materials used – and this is where CFRP has

considerable disadvantages.

A vehicle like the Audi urban concept is surely not the

only path to the future.

Dick: We have a lot of ideas. Our individual product cy-

les are, of course, shorter than they are in aviation. The breadth of

options is far greater, although the innovation steps themselves

re initially more modest. Nevertheless, absolutely nobody has a

irm scenario for the year 2040 or even 2030. There is certainly also

no linear path that will take us there.

So, for the moment, the situation is primarily about

building bridges to a future that nobody knows.

Dick: Naturally we have to work through a lot of things

n parallel now, which costs a lot in terms of resources. Our ob-

ectives are clear – CO₂-free mobility in the metropolitan areas;

CO₂-neutral mobility cross-country. The one can be a battery-elec-

ric car, the other perhaps a plug-in hybrid fueled by regenerative

nergy. We are working intensively on both of these and both will

be available to customers within the foreseeable future. And it

eally is not that important what the final scenario actually looks

ke, the electrification of the automobile is in no way a wasted effort

whether the long-term outcome is all-electric drive, with hydro-

en or whatever else.

Is a commercial aircraft with electric drive

onceivable?

Hornung: In principle, it is not completely impossible.

What we are looking at right now are concepts for short distances

of up to 1,000 kilometers, which covers most flights these days. A

lass like the Dornier 328, like the one we are sitting in, would be

he first to be considered for electrification. But we face even

ougher constraints than the automobile, because we require the

ombination of energy volume for long distance and concentration

of power for the take-off phase. One conceivable option would be

hybrid system using battery storage for take-off and a f uel cell

or distance travel.

But surely batteries like that would be far too heavy.

Hornung: Right now we have many tons of kerosene on

board. Although, it is fair to say that electric drive for aviation will

not be feasible until we achieve an energy density of 1.2 kilowatt

hours per kilogram. Below that would be a pointless exercise, and

we’re currently a long way away from there.

Dick: Sometime, there will be an energy storage medi-

m that will give an electric car the range of a conventional vehicle.

But for the foreseeable future, energy storage technology is not

kely to change much. Battery manufacturers have invested in the

urrent technology and our research engineers are not giving us

ny real hope that we will see any revolutionary progress in the next

en years.

The target for CO₂ reduction is extremely demanding

n aviation, too, isn’t it?

Hornung: The aviation industry set its own target to cut

he CO₂ emissions of 2009 in half by 2050 – from a current level of

600 million to around 300 million tons. When you extrapolate

he current emissions with the expected growth in air traffic, we

would be at 2.2 billion tons by 2050. The defined target, however,

s 300 million.

The short and mid-term solution for CO₂reduction is – the same aircraft, differ-ent fuel. Energy generated from renewablesources is our bridging technology forthe next 20 to 30 years.

Mirko Hornung

Our objectives are clear – CO₂-free mobilityin the metropolitan areas; CO₂-neutralmobility cross-country. We are working in-tensively on both of these, and both willbe available for customers in the foresee-able future. Michael Dick


Experience Michael Dick and Mirko Hornunglive in conversation.www.encounter.audi.com


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Hornung: What are the areas in automotive design with

high degree of potential for innovation?

Dick: Drive-by-wire technologies would be one exam-

ple. They are already a lot further on in the aircraft sector. For us,

teer-by-wire and brake-by-wire are particularly interesting, be-

ause they enable us to take weight out of the car. We will also have

more flexibility when it comes to packaging when we no longer

eed a steering column. Electromechanical brakes have a very fine

egree of control and improve recuperation performance with elec-

ric drive, plus we can dispense with brake fluid. These technologies

re also helpful on the road a future featuring piloted driving.

Hornung: We have had assistance systems i n the cock-

pit for a long time, but we are extremely cautious when it comes to

he operational introduction of unmanned flying. The question

of situation awareness, ensuring that the system acts correctly in

ny given situation, is very important. In road traffic, with the large

number of players involved, I imagine that would be far more

omplicated.

Dick: We are already very far on in the development pro-

ess. We are working with radar systems, lasers and cameras en-

bling the vehicle to orientate itself within its environment. The

ensors can, for example, identify pedestrians with a high degree

f reliability. This will be the next major step toward greater driving

afety. The final responsibility, however, will always remain with

he driver.

Hornung: Assisted driving or flying means an ever

ncreasing level of communication between road users. In aviation,

we are already experiencing problems with overloaded frequencies.

Dick: Initially, we are using existing infrastructures,

uch as the swarm intelligence of the cell phone network, for our

ew online traffic information – for the first time it delivers precise

raffic information in real time. We are also speaking with the

manufacturers of traffic light controls. The vehicle will be able to

etrieve information on the control of green light phases from the

ity’s traffic management system. We originally wanted to make

t possible to retrieve information from every traffic light, but that

s financially unfeasible. In a few years, the driver will know from

he navigation system how to drive perfectly through the green

wave. This extends further to parking lots – the driver gets out of

he car at the entrance to the parking garage and the car searches

or a space on its own.

Hornung:That would help us a lot, too – airports and

their connection to the roads network are increasingly becoming

bottlenecks. Cars that you can drive up in and that then search

autonomously for a parking spot would save a great deal of time.

Dick: We must think a lot more about the connection

and combination of the different traffic systems. A new mobil-

ity concept includes, for example, a navigation system that also

incorporates public transport. You enter your destination and

the desired arrival time and then the system searches for the op-

timum mix of transportation. That can vary depending on the

time of day. We now have a large team at Audi that is working on

this kind of mobility concept. In many large cities we are seeing

ownership demand turn into usership demand, in which case we

also have to develop our business model. When I secure a lease

contract, I can in future perhaps gain access to a variety of vehicle

types depending on my requirements – a cabrio here, a station

wagon there.

Hornung: In the USA, the first flying car has been reg-

istered, for both road and air. Could you imagine something

like that?

Dick: When I think of the traffic density on the roads

and apply that to the air as well, I think rather not.

Hornung: The sky is only full above an altitude of ten

kilometers, and a flying car wouldn’t climb that high anyway.

If such flying vehicles could independently agree their position

and control themselves to a large exten t autonomously, I think

it would be highly conceivable.

Dick:Perhaps that is a blockbuster innovation for the

years to come. But we are not working on it at this point in time.

Airports and their connection to theroads network are increasingly becomingbottlenecks. Cars that you can drive upin and that then search autonomously fora parking spot would save a great dealof time.

Mirko Hornung

With Balanced Mobility we can take ad-vantage of natural gas generated from re-newable energy to continue using thehighly developed technology of the internalcombustion engine in a way that is CO₂neutral. That seems to us like a highly intel-ligent way forward. Michael Dick


Das Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V. is a research institute foundedin Munich in 2005 by the three aerospace companiesEADS, Liebherr-Aerospace and MTU Aero Engines, as well

as the Bavarian Department of Commerce. The teamof around 35 scientists operates as an international thinktank focused on the future of mobility and of civil avia-tion in particular.

www.bauhaus-luftfahrt.net


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e-rodynamicWind Resistance

On the electric-powered Audi R8 e-tron, the role played

by drag is hugely significant. It makes a major contribution to

its energy management and to its range.


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Airflow – around, beneath and through:

he Audi R8 e-tron in the wind tunnel.


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The development of an electric car presents

very specific challenges. In order to bring

range and performance into line with each other, engineers must

ensure that not a single Joule of e nergy is lost needlessly. A cru-

cial field of technology in this respect is aerodynamics.

“With the R8 e-tron, which is of course based on the R8

series-production vehicle, we began with the corresponding cd

figure of 0.348,” says Dr. Martin Brennberger. He is the lead engi-

neer on the aerodynamic concept for the electric-powered high-

performance sports car, which is scheduled to enter low-volume

series production at the end of 2012. “On the technology showcase

unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, we already achieved a cd of

0.32. And we assume that we can shave another chunk off of that.”

The more smoothly a car glides through the air, the less

energy it consumes. On the R8 e-tron, whose electric motors de-

liver 230 kW (313 hp), the improvement has a direct impact on

range. The first study from 2009 was based on a range of 248 kilo-

meters from a single battery charge. Each thousandth in the cd

figure – each point, as the aerodynamicists say – brings around 0.2

kilometers more.

“The leap from 0.35 to 0.32 increased the range by

around 6 kilometers,” reckons Dr. Moni Islam, Head of Develop-

ment, Aerodynamics/Aeroacoustics. “On electrified vehicles, aero-

dynamics in general have a far greater role to play than with con-

ventional drives,” continues Islam. “In contrast to the energy used

to accelerate the vehicle, the e nergy required to overcome drag

cannot be recuperated*, meaning that the cd figure has a more

profound impact on the range of the vehicle.”

Electric drive opens up a whole new range of highly in-

teresting opportunities for engineers. Because the R8 e -tron re-

quires no air for combustion and has no oil cooler, they were able

to close off the side air intakes at the front and the “sideblades”

along the flanks. The absence of the big V8 engine, transmission

and exhaust system allows for a completely smooth underbody.

At its rear, a long, slightly upward sloping diffuser channels the air

so that it harmonizes perfectly with the airflow around the back of

the vehicle.

The luggage compartment has moved from the front

to the area behind the cabin – above the electric motor and the

battery, which is maintained at a temperature of around 30 degrees

Celsius and thus does not present any thermal problems. At the

front of the car are all the components required for the R8 e-tron’s

sophisticated thermal management. They include the heat ex-

changer that cools the motor, the power electronics and the bat-

tery, as well as the condenser for the air conditioning, which works

together with the heat pump to control the temperatures of t he

interior and battery.

All of these components are supplied intensively with

cooling air. It flows in a closed channel through the front of the car

and exits through openings on the front cover panel – an all-new

solution for a road vehicle that also increases the downforce on the

front axle, similar to that on the R8 race car for the GT3 category.

“Carefully thought-through, effective thermal management is the

cornerstone of electrification,” sums up Dr. Brennberger. “On the

R8 e-tron, it works perfectly together with the aerodynamics.”

Before the Audi R8 e-tron is launched, the aerodynam-

ic experts will carry out a lot more refinements. This extends to the

classic details like wheels, tires and exterior mirrors – to ensure that

not a single Joule is lost needlessly.

New ways – the air intakes onthe front hood play a major role in the

R8 e-tron.

Lord of the wind – Dr. Moni Islam,Head of Development, Aerodynamics/Aeroacoustics at Audi.

Flow expert – Dr. Martin Brennbergerdesigned the aerodynamicconcept for the Audi R8 e-tron.

Efficiency – each improvement ofone hundredth in the cd figure

delivers two kilometers more range.

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Text Johannes Köbler

PhotosStefan Warter

Audi’s Wind Tunnel Center

Audi’s Wind Tunnel Center in Ingolstadt com-prises three hi-tech installations. The largest of them is the aeroacoustic windtunnel, which can reproduce wind speeds of up to 300 km/h.

In the Thermal Wind Tunnel, the cars are heated to as much as 55 degreesCelsius, and the Climatic Wind Tunnel can generate virtually every one of theworld’s climates – it even incorporates a rain machine.

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The happy caravan China is different – in many aspects, different from allthat we know in the West. 20 new Audi Q3s took part in the Trans China Tourthrough a land in a state of flux.

Experience the Audi Q3 Trans China Tour in fas t forward.www.encounter.audi.com

Off-road testing –The Audi Q3 also masters challengingterrain with ease.

China Daily

北京

济南

南京

青岛

上海

Wave 1 – the first four stages of the TransChina Tour connect the rapidly growing urban

centers in the east of the country.

Beijing → Shanghai北京 →上海


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Number three. Three is good. Eight would

have been better, but it could have been

worse – with number four or 14. Because, in the Middle Kingdom,

anything that includes a four stands for all sorts of bad luck. The

number 8, on the other hand, is something the Chinese can’t get

enough of, which is why those who can afford it book suite number

8888 in the Seven Star Hotel in Zhaoqing – even though the build-

ing only has six floors.

We will spend the next three weeks in car number three

– one of 20 new Audi Q3s brought together in Beijing for the Trans

China Tour. Today is Sunday, and it is a matter of sheer luck wheth-

er you are able to make it out of the city in reasonable t ime. This

morning marks the start of a long jou rney, and it could begin very

slowly indeed if too many Beijing inhabitants choose exactly this

time to visit family or do a bit of power-shopping.

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Rare – bicycles have become a less frequentfeature of city roads.

Development – with huge bridges andbrand new highways, China is making enormousexpansions to its traffic infrastructure.

The bicycle bell symphony on the streets of the Chinese

capital has long ceased. These days it is the horns of countless au-

tomobiles that set the tone. China is motorizing itself – at least in

the major cities – and to such an extent that new vehicle registra-

tions in Beijing have been limited to just 17,000 per year. It goes

without saying that the suitably solvent car buyer seeks to acquire

a license plate with as many eights in it as possible, but even that

does not protect him from taking mandatory breaks. Because, de-

pending on their license plate, the locals must leave their automo-

tive pride and joy at home on certain weekdays. Only at weekends

is everybody free to drive as they wish.

We’re in luck, however. The traffic heading south leaves

the city without problem, which is a good thing, as we have a lot to

do. Audi has invited around 160 journalists to take part in the Trans

China Tour. They will travel this huge country from north to south

in four groups – covering a total of 5,700 kilometers in 16 stages,

from Beijing, through Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guilin to the finish

line in Hong Kong. The intention is for the journalistic fraternity to

gain a wide-ranging impression of China, which is now Audi’s big-

gest market and a significant element in its future growth strategy.

TextMarkus Stier

PhotosPicture:service

Splendor – the capital Beijing with thedistinctive “kinked” CCTV tower on the right.

Upheaval – economic change is clearlyevident in small towns, too.

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Wave 2 – heading into southern China,

mega-cities continue to mark the stagingposts along the way.

Shanghai → Shenzhen上海 →深圳

上海

杭州

深圳

厦门

福州


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The Audi Q3 is the perfect companion for the big tour.

With its compact format and excellent visibility, it moves effort-

essly through urban traffic. Its sporty character, powerful and ef-

icient engines and high comfort level also turn long journeys into

pleasurable experience. And thanks to its versatile handling char-

cteristics, Audi’s compact SUV is just as much at home on rough

errain. The tour participants learn to appreciate all of these char-

cteristics immensely.

Thanks to uninterrupted economic growth, a burgeon-

ng middle class is emerging in the People’s Republic. The Audi Q5

s extremely successful here and the clear market leader, providing

he best possible prerequisites for the compact Q3, which will be

vailable for sale here as of 2012 as an import model and will also

ater be produced in China.

The European guests also get a feel for the growing

wealth here, and not just from the sight of forests of constructions

ranes stretching skyward on the outskirts of every city, tirelessly

pulling enormous high-rise residential blocks upward out of the

arth. The roads network in China is developing at a rapid rate, too.

There are already 70,000 kilometers of highway crisscrossing pri-

marily the densely populated eastern part of this huge land. In just

few years it will leave the current record holder the USA with its

76,000 highway kilometers trailing in its wake.

The government is planning ahead. Over the next two

ecades 400 million people will make the transition from the low

o the mid-income bracket, making the roads network in many

provinces – in contrast to the cities – seem extremely generous

t the moment. The brand new highways with very little traffic are

huge help for the long daily distances covered by the Trans

China Tour.

However, the most decisive help en route to the evening

stopover destinations is delivered by the MMI navigation in the Audi

Q3. Drivers from the West are initially s urprised by how well and

detailed the Chinese network of roads and even tracks are stored

on the hard drive. A total of around three million kilometers are

digitized to a very high degree of data precision. It may sound sur-

prising, but a navigation system in China must operate far more

accurately than, say, in Germany. Several roads are often located

very close to each other. On and off ramps are f ar more frequent

and the multi-level concrete roads present very particular chal-

lenges. In Shanghai there is a four-level road with circular ramps

and several off-shoots on each level – a true challenge for every

navigation device.

And there is one more problem – the enormous speed

with which new roads and bridges are being built here. On the Tour,

the Audi Q3s drive over several bridges or through tunnels that the

system does not yet know, in fact cannot yet know – because the

authorities in China are faster at completing new building work

than they are at approving updates to map software. Thus, the

navigation voice falls silent when the Q3 seems to drive over the

sea through the expansive Jiazhou Bay near Qingdao. No wonder,

the bridge was opened just a couple of months ago. At around 42

kilometers long, it claims to be the world’s longest sea bridge.

Powerful – Mao Zedong has become arare sight. A large-scale version greets us in the

city of Fuzhou.

Lush green – subtropical vegetation inSouth China. The Audi Q3s travel between ricepaddies and banana plants.

Contrast – fascinating landscapes deliver theperfect contrast to the modern cities.

1

2

3

4

↓

Fast roads – in South China, too, the network

of highways and roads has undergone enormousexpansion.

Popular – Yangshuo is one of the most preferred

destinations among Chinese tourists.

1

4

2

3

Wave 3 – from the huge economic area surround-ing city of ten million Shenzhen, the route heads

into the natural scenery around Guilin. The fourthwave then drives in the opposite direction back toShenzhen and the Tour finale in Hong Kong.

Shenzhen → Guilin深圳 →桂林

桂林

阳朔

肇庆

广州

深圳


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This is nothing to dampen the spirits. Be it at a popular card game

or at a meeting with long-nosed foreigners – laughter is frequent

and loud, even when the highway between Hangzhou and Fuzhou

is closed for a couple of hours to enable a visiting dignitary from

abroad a clear run through.

Alongside rapid wealth and a long life, there is nothing

more important to the Chinese than food. The participants sit at

countless round tables during the tour. On the lazy susans are an

amazing array of dishes – Peking duck in Beijing, fish cooked in beer

in Guilin and dumplings filled with caramel in Zhaoqing. Not nec-

essarily everything is to European tastes – boiled jellyfish and

braised frog are declined by most.

The third and fourth groups also have the chance to

experience the robust potential of the new SUV with quattro per-

manent all-wheel drive off-road. From the expansive industrial

region around Shenzhen, the route leads mainly along small roads

and tracks into the impressive scenery of the region around Guilin,

with its unique karst hills and miles of rice paddies. In the south-

ernmost province of Guanxi, just before the border to Vietnam,

thousands of cone-shaped rock formations rise up to 700 meters

out of the earth. School children all over the country sing songs

about the beauty of a landscape that is often shrouded in a mystical

haze. Those who can afford it make a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see

the most beautiful formations along the Li River from a caravan of

river steamboats, or they treat themselves to a bamboo raft tour

on the Yulong.

In the last group, the cars are driven largely by Chinese

journalists, and it goes without saying that there is no longer a

car 4. It now bears the number 88 – a sure-fire guarantee of luck.

Nevertheless, the luck remains reasonably well distributed. Like

all the others, car three crosses the finish line with barely a

scratch, although unwashed and proudly displaying the dust of

eight provinces.

With an increasing number of Chinese able to afford it,

many will surely take the tour into the beautiful south of the coun-

try in their own cars one day – accompanied by a pioneering tingle,

as our parents once felt when they first set of in a VW Beetle for the

Adriatic or Lake Garda. Or as we did – because every day of the Trans

China Tour was a little adventure. And thanks to growing prosper-

ity, the market for premium automobiles will continue to grow

above the market average. In 2011, Audi sold around 300,000 cars

in China, and soon it will be 400,000. But perhaps 388,888

should be announced first…

This country, with its 1.3 billion inhabitants is, in many

ways, a land of superlatives. Car number three passes the world’s

highest TV tower – all 600 meters of it – in Guangzhou. Some of the

highest buildings are in Shanghai. This is also the planet’s largest

urban conurbation, occupying around three times the area of the

German state of Saarland. And while only one million people live

there, Shanghai is home to 23 million – perhaps even more, no one

really knows for sure. The traffic jam in the city center is 16 kilome-

ters long – however, we thankfully manage to avoid this particular

superlative.

Every provincial capital in China is at least the size of

Berlin, most of them twice the size. The hand-to-hand combat on

the congested roads is a constant challenge. Le Mans champion

André Lotterer, who joins the Trans China Tour for a while, speaks

of “freestyle driving”. Like the Audi works driver, virtually all of the

tour participants derive a certain sat isfaction from lane surfing,

from the restrained but energetic jostling and from the search for

unconventional solutions to circumnavigate an emerging traffic

snarl-up. The nimble power of the Audi Q3 with its 211 hp TFSI

engine and S tronic transmission is, of course, a big help. Overall,

the traffic in China is chaotic and hectic, but largely free from ag-

gression. With a certain racing-driver attitude in these head-to-

heads, you ultimately earn that decisive little bit of space. Plus, the

Chinese may sound their horns like mad, but there is not a hint of

rage on their faces as they look through their car windows.

In fact, it is generally apparent that the Chinese adopt

a very relaxed attitude to life’s hardships. The often close juxtapo-

sition of wealth and poverty is one of the more compelling images

of the Tour. The people have been used to laborious toil in the rice

paddies for thousands of years. Handcarts are pulled with stoic

calm, until you can afford a motorized three-wheeler or even a car.

The other side – in China, it often takes just an hour to drive from urban pro-

sperity to hard labor in the r ice paddies.

Mystical landscape – the unique karsthills around Guilin are often shrouded ina misty haze.

1

2

Completed – the finish ramp of the TransChina Tour in Shenzhen.

Finale – Hong Kong is once again areal high point for the tour participants.

3

4

1

4

4

3

Guilin → Hong Kong桂林 →香港


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8 39

ScienceFaction

The end of “yours” and “mine” – what will we still own in future?

“The consumption model for the 21st century will be collaborative. We will learn to use our internet access

to share goods in a new and different way.”

Alison Brooks, Architect

The ticket model – will we buy journeys instead of cars?

“We will have a new system of consumption. In this system, the unit will no longer be the car,

but the journey.”

Charles Leadbeater, Architect and Computer Scientist

TextAgnes Happich

IllustrationScriberia

Seeing with the eyes of a city How will we get around in cities in future? What role will be played bycars in mega-cities? The Audi Urban Summit is a forum where architects, sociologists andtrend researchers take a look into the crystal ball. Despite different visions of the future,the experts are united on one thing – the cities of the world are talking to us; they are givingthe answers themselves to the questions of future mobility. We just have to listen.


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40 41 Encounter Technology* until january 2012

No more red-amber-green – a world without traffic lights?

“The digital tsunami that is currently rolling into our cities will sweep away a great many things

that we have always taken for granted, like traffic lights for instance. A digitalized car

that communicates with other cars and with its environment no longer needs traffic lights.”

Jürgen Mayer H., Architect

Parking, washing, charging – will the car become its own butler?

“Imagine you are driving through the city with your electric car looking for a parking spot. Your car shows

you a selection of parking garages and you make your selection. When you arrive there, you select

services such as “charge” or “wash”, climb out of the car and go shopping at your leisure. The car takes care of

the rest for you. It searches for an empty parking spot on its own, charges itself via induction and

then has itself washed.”

Ricky Hudi, Head of Development, Electrics/Electronics AUDI AG

A look inside the car of the future – more room, fewer buttons?

“The appearance of the car will change dramatically with battery-operated drive. The heavy driveline

disappears, leaving lots of free space in the interior. We must design these new interiors to be

as minimalist as possible. When reduced to the bare essentials, spaces appear light and roomy. One thing is

certain despite the new functions, despite all the networking, an Audi will remain utterly simple

and intuitive to operate in future, too.”

Stefan Sielaff, Head of Design AUDI AG *

percentof the earth’s

crust iscovered bycities.

In Mexico City, every inhabitant spends an average of 38 days per

year in a traffic jam – that is more than the annual leave of most

Europeans. Mexico City is a so-called mega-city, which means a city with more than five

million inhabitants – far more. Around 20 million people live in Mexico’s capital, although

nobody knows exactly how many. An increasing number of people worldwide are moving

to cities like this – they are growing at breakneck speed. More people, more cars – for indi-

viduals, this means less and less space to live, less air to breath. The pressing problems of

the world’s mega-cities are presenting city planners and architects with completely new

challenges – and the same applies to auto makers. In order to understand these problems,

you have to “see with the eyes of a city,” says Saskia Sassen, the renowned sociologist from

Columbia University, New York.

2


23/74


Few automakers are actually prepared to adopt this perspective, because ad-

dressing the problems of the urban future demands a new way of thinking. Rupert Stadler,

Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG considers the city of the future: “There

are currently seven billion people on earth – living, working, eating, driving – 70 percent

in so-called mega-cities. I ask myself: What are the urgent problems facing these cities?

What energies change a city?” To find answers to these questions, the automaker founded

the Audi Urban Future Summit. It is one pillar of the Audi Urban Future Initiative, which

has become a fixed element of Audi as a company.

The summit is a symposium, a for um on the topic of future urban mobility. It

took place for the first time during the lead up to the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Top-

ranking experts from architecture, city planning, trend research and computer science

discussed their visions of these cities and of future mobility. And all 450 guests in the

audience were able to join the discussion.

“A whole lot of brainpower came together at the Audi Urban Future Summit,”

said engineer and architect Carlo Ratti, one of the speakers at the event. Brainpower from

very diverse disciplines. Rupert Stadler underlined how important this multi-disciplinary

dialogue is for Audi: “ We understand that Audi cannot answer the question of mobility in

the city of the future on its own. No company, no city planner and no government can do

that. We must network. We must enter new cooperations, this time with players from the

urban environment.”

Each one of the experts at the summit used the platform to present their vision

of mobility in the cities of the future and to open them up for discussion. The questions

posed by the experts functioned like a window to the future. Will we drive ourselves in

future? What does it mean for the dri ver, when he/she hands over the steering wheel to a

digital system, when cars drive autonomously and are constantly networked? How can we

work with decreasing resources, space and time? Must we rethink the concept of sharing

and take it much farther?

As varied as the approaches of the summit experts were, they were all united on

one issue – there can be no single solution for mobility in the cities of the future. There will

be many different models, as varied as the cities of the wor ld. The path to these solutions

will be defined by the cities themselves – they are speaking to us. “ The city talks back,” said

Saskia Sassen in her opening address. And Audi is listening and learning.

Roads turn into walkways, then into flower beds and then back again – the surface of a city as a chameleon?

“Imagine 20 years from now that the entire surface area of the city, its roads and walkways,

curbstones and flowerbeds along the roadside, all its signposts are exchanged for a new digital and elastic

surface area. It can change continuously to fit life on the streets. The space between buildings

can adapt to suit the new, flowing form of transportation.”

Andreas Klok Pedersen, Architect

ercent of energys consumed byhe world’s cities.

percent ofCO₂ emissions aregenerated in

the world’s cities.

75

80

xperience the Audi Urban Future Summit.www.encounter.audi.com


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Electric cars on fleet test The first 20 Audi A1 e-trons have been driving through

Munich since September. They are part of a test fleet used by Audi to researchhow its customers handle electric cars.

PoweredUp

1

2

Designed specifically for the job – the instruments.

Enthusiastic A1 e-tron driver –

Christian Thomaschefsky at the wheel.

1

2

Experience the Audi A1 e-tron in action.

www.encounter.audi.com


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It’s 5.3 kilometers to the Vik-

tualienmarkt, almost 20 to the

Riem shopping mall and around 35 to Terminal 2 of

Munich Airport – for the past two weeks, Stefanie

Ostermayer has been counting every kilometer when

she climbs into her glacier white Audi A1. She is a test

driver in Audi’s electromobility fleet test. Like 19 other

testers, she is driving an electric prototype, the Audi A1

e-tron, for several months.

Audi is looking forward to gaining a lot of

information from the fleet test on how people handle

the new drive technology. The objective is to learn more

about the behavior, as well as the expectations of the

customer. For Stefanie Ostermayer, the silent ride is a

completely new driving experience. She notices it es-

pecially in the morning, when things are still relatively

quiet in Munich’s Schwabing district.

The Audi e-tron is parked in a small under-

ground parking lot across the street from Ostermayer’s

apartment. From the outside, it looks virtually identical

to its series-production sibling, only the lettering on

the side and the absence of an exhaust pipe at the rear

give it away as an electric car. Ostermayer climbs in and

pushes the start button. The instruments light up and

a quiet hum is audible. That’s all, and the A1 e-tron is

ready to drive. It glides out of the parking garage and

onto the road with virtually no sound – into the daily

hustle and bustle of the city, heading for Riem, where

the business studies graduate works. Once there, the

car can be connected once more to a charging station.

The charging infrastructure necessary for

the fleet test was installed in Munich by project part-

ners. E.ON handled mainly the more outlying areas,

while the Works Department of Munich City dealt with

the Bavarian capital itself. Overall, the two energy pro-

viders installed around 100 charging points each. All

are fed with eco-electricity generated from renewable

energy sources – an important aspect. At the end of the

day, Audi doesn’t want to transfer the CO₂ emissions to

electricity production, but rather reduce it in a sustain-

able manner. The project is being supported by the

German Ministry of Transport as part of the “Modell-region Elektromobiliät München” program, a large-

scale real-life test in which Christian Thomaschefsky is

also participating.

A car that feels at home in the city –

the Audi A1 e-tron at the Siegestor in Munich.

Anyone who pays attention to their fuel consumptionn a regular car will have no problem working with electricity.

Christian ThomaschefskyA1 e-tron tester

The range of the e-tron –

the range extender multiplies the range.

Arrival is guaranteed.

Power source – the city worksdepartment has installed a charging infra-

structure in Munich.

1

2

2

1

Text

Daniel Schuster

Photos

Stefan Warter

Nuremberg

Ulm

Range withbatteries

Range with

range extender

Munich


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Thomaschefsky has been driving the A1

e-tron since September and is totally enamored. To-

gether with his girlfriend, the economist underwenttraining for the fleet test, as did all the other test

drivers – after all, this is a prototype with a high-

voltage system. Alongside a practical introduction,

there was also a theoretical briefing on the tech-

nology and system. How is the A1 e-tron operated?

Where is the vehicle charged? And what do you do

in the event of an accident? If he has questions or

problems, Thomaschefsky can call the hotline num-

ber set up specifically for the project at any time.

A data logger in the car gathers all the im-

portant figures. When and where is the car charged?

Which routes and distances are covered? This is supple-

mented by questionnaires, monitoring labs and group

discussions with the participants. All 20 testers first

spent several weeks driving the A1 with an internal

combustion engine before they were then able to take

to the wheel of the A1 e-tron with electric drive. This

way, Audi gains more detailed information on whether

the customer behaves differently when driving an elec-

tric car than one with a conventional drive.

Day trip – the range extender facilitateslonger journeys, too.

Business vehicle – the A1 e-tron has become

part of Thomaschefsky’s everyday life.

1

2

1

2

The planning was a little unfamiliar at first.But once you rethink things, it works very well.

Stefanie OstermayerA1 e-tron tester

Thomaschefsky had no real difficulty adapt-

ing to the change. He drives short distances complete-

ly as usual, even enjoying some occasional bursts ofvery sporty driving. When driving in the city, he is a little

more careful, accelerating more modestly and using

the recuperation* function by braking with the electric

motor to charge the battery. For him, this is not diffi-

cult at all. “Anyone who pays attention to fuel con-

sumption can do it with electricity, too,” is his opinion.

And when the energy in the battery is insufficient, there

is always the range extender*.

When required, the battery of the 75 kW

(102 hp) Audi A1 e-tron can be charged by a compact

internal combustion engine in the rear of the car. This

range extender charges the battery while driving and

increases the range to up to 250 kilometers. The bat-

tery takes the form of a pack of lithium-ion modules

integrated within the floor assembly in front of the rear

axle. The A1 e-tron is a premium vehicle with four seats

and a fully usable luggage compartment conceived for

use in urban areas.

The adjustment was no problem for Oster-

meyer either. “It was just the route planning that was

a little unfamiliar at first,” she explains to a curious

passer-by as she plugs her A1 into the charging station.

“You have to rethink things a little, but then it works

very well.” The only thing that still seems a little diffi-

cult is the search for a charging station. “In contrast to

fuel stations, very few passers-by know where the near-

est charging point is.” However, help is at hand in the

form of an app, which displays all the electricity charg-ing points installed by E.ON and the Munich City Works

Department. There are no less than 20 in the city center

inside the middle ring road.

Modern automobile – the Audi A1 e-tron is urban,

intelligent and forward-looking.



27/74


n accordance with standards set for range extender vehicles

Data

eak power / continuous rating 75 kW (102 hp) / 45 kW (61 hp)

Max. torque 240 Nm

nergy, lithium-ion battery 12 kWh

ange extender single-rotor Wankel engine

–100 km/h 10.2 s

op speed 130 km/h

onsumption 1.9 l/100 km*

O₂ emissions 45 g/km*

ange with battery ca. 50 km

ange with range extender ca. 250 km

Audi A1 e-tron

1

2

The app also serves as an interface between

the project partners, the testers and the A1. If required,

it shows the battery charge status, the location of the

car and a wide range of other useful information. The

pre-heating of the interior via the external power con-

nection can also be initiated via the app, as can the ve-

hicle charging itself. When using high-voltage current,

the message that the A1 e-tron is charged is sent to the

cell phone just 1.5 hours later – and after around three

hours using a normal outlet.

With a full battery, Ostermayer heads back

into the city in the early afternoon to do some grocery

shopping at the Viktualienmarkt. The people seem in-

terested when the electric car glides silently by, and

there are always questions. Ostermayer is used to it

from friends and neighbors. Everyone wants to come

along for the ride – to experience the new feeling. There

is no shortage of positive feedback, but the issue of

range gives rise to a certain degree of uncertainty. “It

depends what you want to use the electric car for,”

is Ostermayer’s standard response. She, too, has

switched to an Audi with a conventional TDI or TFSI

drive for a longer weekend trip. However, for everyday

driving, the range of the e-tron is plenty – something

she intends to emphasize in the debriefing at the end

of the test.

For Audi and the other project partners, this

is an important signal, as this issue still comes with a

great many unanswered questions. Which vehicle con-

cept does the customer really need? Is an e-tron being

used as a first or second vehicle? User behavior when

it comes to charging and range will be particularly im-

portant for future development work. From a statisti-

cal standpoint, a range of 50 kilometers is more than

enough. However, will customers also understand that

a limited range doesn’t have to restrict them – espe-

cially as the range extender is a reliable way to avoid

being stranded? The fleet test should yield results.

Until then, Ostermayer and Thomaschefsky will be

among the very few exotics on the roads driving toward

shaping the future.

Shopping cart – the A1 e-tron on a

visit to the Viktualienmarkt.The trunk offers plenty of space.

Experience in everyday life –the compact Audi is an urban all-rounder.

1

2


28/74


Skills Among Audi’s greatest strengths is the expertise of every single one of its employees.It forms the basis for perfection and innovation.Skills.

54 Wired for Action60 Weight Watchers66 Networker72 The Strong Silent Type78 Light Work84 Simply Red86 Magazine88 Made-to-measure96 The Layered Look98 Better by Half

106 Print Preview112 Change Extender


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by-wire technology When the transmission of steering, braking and shiftcommands is carried out via cable, mechanical and hydraulic componentscan be dispensed with. Audi is researching by-wire technology.

Wired for

Action

echnology model – the chassis of theAudi R8 e-tron minus steering column and with

lectromechanical brakes.


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In the technology model, an electromechanicalsystem implements the driver’s commands.

Brake-by-wire

lectric motors on the steering box and at the

teering wheel replace the steering column.

Steer-by-wire

57 Encounter Technology6 Encounter Technology


31/74


Steer-by-wire opens up a host of new packaging op-

tions and makes it possible, for instance, to place the steering

box in front of a transversely mounted engine. If required, the

steering wheel can also retract into the cockpit, easing vehicle

entry and exit and improving safety in the event of a front-end

collision. In the cockpit, the elimination of the steering column

delivers more space for components like air conditioning and

gives designers greater freedom when it comes to interior design.

According to Koch, European legislation presents no fundamen-

tal hurdles to steer-by-wire. At its core, it requires only self-cen-

tering and the assurance that certain steering maneuvers remai n

possible in the event of a system failure – how the manufacturer

achieves that is its own business.

In brake-by-wire technology, Christian Balnus’ area of

expertise, there are a completely different set of conceptual mod-

els. Of particular interest to Audi are electromechanical wheel

brakes, as on the front axle of the technology model. In these so-

called spindle brakes, electrically actuated ball screws push the

friction pads at high-speed onto the carbon-fiber ceramic brake

discs. Wheel brakes are not required at the rear axle. “The two large

electric motors at the rear function as generators under decelera-

tion,” explains Balnus. “At the rear axle, which receives relatively

little braking force in any car, this is more than sufficient.”

Electromechanical brakes ease component packaging

at the front of the vehicle because bulky and heavy hydraulic parts

become superfluous. Inside the car, the stiff brake pedal could give

way to a small lever or a sensor surface beneath the carpet on which

forces are simulated.Both solutions have a positive effect in the

event of a collision.

For the customer, the new technology means rapid

feedback and precise control – in the interaction with the chassis

and assistance systems in particular this can mean an increase in

safety. In electric vehicles like the R8 e-tron, an electromechanical

system enables perfect crossfade between energy recovery and

mechanical braking. Legislation is not a problem here either – cars

with electromechanical wheel brakes are road-legal as long as the

power supply is set up with system redundancy.

The subject of shift-by-wire, which is the specialist

field of Thomas Guttenberger, features heavily in the R8 e-tron.

The electrically driven high-performance sports car requires only

single speed transmissions. The shift lever serves purely for the

selection of driving modes R, N and D. Audi has enormous experi-

ence in this field of technology – the A2 1.2 TDI from 2001 used

an automated manual transmission, with its hydraulic unit tak-

ing its commands from electrical signals. A similar principle ap-

plies to the R tronic in the Audi R8 and to the eight-speed tip-

tronic in the flagship A8. Shift-by-wire provides an excellent basis

for future assistance technologies like automated parking and

piloted driving*.

Aluminum wishbones, electric motors front

and rear, bundled hi-tech in 1:1 scale – the

echnology model looks highly attractive. The most interesting

spects of the Audi R8 e-tron’s chassis are those parts that are

bsent – the steering column, brakes on the rear wheels, the brak-

ng hydraulics and shifting mechanism. “The term ‘ by-wire’ means

hat we replace mechanical and hydraulic components with electri-

al and mechatronic parts, thus separating the force and signal

paths from one another,” says Peter Kunsch, Head of Advanced

Chassis Development, who is responsible for this particular disci-

pline. “When we only have to transmit signals, by wire if you will, a

whole host of opportunities are opened up to us.” The A2 concept,

he show car unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, was

quipped with this futuristic technology. And in the latest project

the technology model based on the R8 e-tron – the steering,

brakes and gear selection function electrically.

“Steering using by-wire technology is very simple in

principle,” says Tilo Koch, who is a specialist in this field. A sensor

on the steering wheel recognizes the turning movement; an electric

motor on the steering box generates the necessary force and sends

t to the track rods. At the steering wheel, a small electric motor

enerates the feedback familiar to the driver.

“The sensitive Audi steering feel remains the same or

s even better – just the unwanted vibrations from the drive and

oad surface are eliminated,” explains Koch. At the push of a but-

on, the driver can select from a variety of steering ratios and set-

ps, from comfortable to sporty. Networked with other systems,

teer-by-wire can carry out a great many correction and assistance

unctions, some of which are brand new.

extohannes Köbler

PhotosMyrzik und Jarisch

On the technology model, gear selection ishandled by electric signals alone.

Shift-by-wireteer-by-wire – an electric motor on the steeringox generates the forces.

rake-by-wire – so-called spindle brakes operaten the front axle.

Head of Advanced Chassis Development –

eter Kunsch works on the by-wire technology.

2 3

P i c t u r e : s e r v i c e

* See glossary, p. 142 59 Encounter Technology


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New bodyshells using mixed materialsFor Audi, lightweight design means –

the minimum material in the right place for the best per-formance. It is under this premise that engineersare working on the new Multimaterial Space Frame.

WeightWatchers

CFRP in the cell

CFRP components have a 17-percent

share. They give the occupant cell a high

degree of safety and stiffness.

17

Aluminum dominates

At 83 percent, aluminum remains

the dominant material in the

experimental bodyshell of the R8.

83


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If you are at the very top of the competition,

it is not enough simply to defend your lead.

You must strive to extend that lead, which means treading new

paths. Peter Fromm knows this particular challenge very well. As

Head of Development, Vehicle Body, his responsibilities include

erodynamics, bodyshell and interior at AUDI AG, as well as vehicle

body module management for the Volkswagen Group.

Audi has held the leading position in lightweight design

or almost 20 years – aluminum bodyshells built using the ASF

Audi Space Frame) technique have been setting the benchmark

ince 1994. The ASF principle reduces weight against comparable

teel bodyshells by around 40 percent and has a technical elegance

hat gives engineers a great deal of freedom. The jobs of the body-

hell components – the extruded profile, the cast nodes and the

luminum panels – are quite distinct from each other. Each com-

ponent has its own function.

Audi engineers are now venturing onto the next level

the intelligent material mix. The new Multimaterial Space Frame

an take very different forms. In the A6 and A6 Avant, for instance,

he steel bodyshells contain a high proportion of aluminum and a

eries of design solutions from ASF technology. In the high-per-

ormance sports cars, on the other hand, carbon-fiber reinforced

polymer (CFRP) will play an important role in future.

Peter Fromm demonstrates the new technology on an

ASF bodyshell from the current R8, which already features tech-

nology from the next generation. It stands in the FRP Technology

Center (FRP = Fiber Reinforced Polymer), a think tank within the

Audi Lightweight Design Center in Neckarsulm that was estab-

lished in 2010. The front end of t he R8 is built, as before, using

aluminum. The inside of the pass enger cabin, however, is domi-

nated by dark gray – parts of the floor and sills, the center tunnel,

the rear bulkhead, the B-pillars and the X-shaped strut in the en-

gine compartment are made from CFRP.

The new material makes up 17 percent of the bodyshell;

14 CFRP components replace four times as many aluminum parts.

Self-tapping stainless steel screws join the aluminum and CFRP

components together, with adhesive and fine-seam sealant pro-

tecting the contact points from corrosion.

“It is a wonderful technology showcase,” enthuses

Peter Fromm. “At 210 kilograms, the current R8 is already a bench-

mark for the competition. The next generation will be below the

200 kilogram mark, despite improvements in stiffness and crash

safety. We use the CFRP parts where they make the most sense. The

rear bulkhead, for example, offers excellent protection in the event

of a side impact because its fibers have been laid exactly in the di-

rection of load.” In principle, according to Fromm, Audi can use its

intelligent material mix to realize bodyshells that are just as light,

or even lighter, than a pure CFRP occupant cell. “And when it comes

to the overall energy footprint and cost to the customer, they are

definitely far superior.”

For Audi, lightweight design does not mean a rigid

fixation on any one material, but rather the intelligent, flexible

application of a diverse range of materials – under the premise of

using the least material in the ideal location to achieve the best

performance. The engineers have gathered a broad range of exper-

tise in all the technical fields, resulting in a constant stream of new

innovations. Examples include ultra-light suspension-strut domes

made from pressure-cast magnesium, high-strength aluminum

alloys and parts from thin-wall pressure-cast a luminum with a

wall-thickness measuring just 2 millimeters. On the A-pillars in the

A8 luxury sedan, for instance, it reduces the weight by 1.5 kilo-

grams to 2.5 kilograms.

1

extohannes Köbler

PhotosStefan WarterPicture:service

Highly precise – the CFRP wovenmats are cut to shape on computer-controlled equipment.

We work in close collaboration with

our colleagues in production.

That is one of our particular strengths.Peter Fromm

Head of Development, Vehicle Body AUDI AG



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Alongside the leading development know-how at Audi

is its wide-ranging expertise in manufacturing. “We work closely

together as a team and are involved in an ongoing exchange of

ideas,” explains Peter Fromm. “We discuss process technology,

tooling technology and bonding technology like new welding solu-

tions. And we will soon begin to cast aluminum parts ourselves at

a new plant near Ingolstadt.”

Sound processes and lean production is a fundamental

requirement at Audi – that also applies to CFRP. In the Neckarsulm

Lightweight Design Center is an RTM press (RTM = Resin Transfer

Molding) with a press force of up to 1,000 tonnes. Its raw material

takes the form of several layers of precisely cut CFRP woven mat.

Epoxy resin is injected into the heated tool at a pressure of up to

100 bars. This matrix cures under heat and pressure, and eight

minutes later a B-pillar is finished.

“This is too long for series production,” says Fromm.

“We can get that down to four minutes if we optimize the flow

characteristics of the resin in the tool. We are working on that our-

selves, supported by our partner Voith. We are striving to achieve

a better ratio of CFRP fiber to resin without compromising the per-

formance of the part. The current ratio is around 50:50, we want

to get to 60:40.”

Audi reversed the weight spiral years ago by system-

atically applying lightweight design – in future, every new model

will be lighter than its predecessor, some of them much lighter. The

180 engineers in the ALZ* in Neckarsulm are buzzing with projects

and ideas. One of them is a matrix in which carbon is combined with

other fibers, including natural fibers. Another is so-called OLAS

waves (OLAS = oscillating laminated absorbing structures). With

their wave-shaped structure, they can absorb vast amounts of en-

ergy over a very short distance and thus replace the load-bearing

beams used in current vehicle structures.

In intelligent lightweight design, Audi engineers

have a firm eye not only on the scales, but also on the overall en-

ergy footprint. This is why they are conducting research into low-

energy bodyshells made largely from secondary metals. In the

medium term, they are even considering innovative concepts for

the manufacture of epoxy resin and CFRP fibers using cellulose as

a base material. If you want to extend your lead you have to tread

new paths.

trong backbone – the center tunnel ismade entirely from CFRP.

Highly complex – the B-pillars demonstrate

he geometries facilitated by CFRP.

Machine technology – RTM press, CFRP cuttingequipment – the Technical Center in Neckarsulm isperfectly equipped.

14Functional integration through CFRP parts

The 14 parts made from carbon-fiber

reinforced polymer replace more than 50

aluminum components.



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Networker

The new driver assistance systems Audi assistance systems are already makingdriving more relaxed and refined. The systems of thefuture will be even smarter, more extensive and more powerful.

Text Johannes Köbler

PhotoStefan Warter

Experience the new assistance systems.

www.encounter.audi.com


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Traffic Jam Assistant

For slow-moving traffic

The traffic jam assistant can take the load off the driver when

driving is not exactly a pleasure, like in slow-moving traffic

or instance. At speeds of between zero and 60 km/h, the sys-

em provides steering assistance within certain limits. It also

ccelerates and decelerates autonomously. It can be used on

highways and in the city, too, when the road layout is not too

omplex.

The traffic jam assistant is based on the adaptive

ruise control with Stop & Go function expanded with new lat-

ral guidance components. Two radar sensors capture wedge-

haped fields of 21 degrees each and to a distance of 250 me-

ers. A video camera with a wide aperture monitors the road

markings; it can also recognize objects like other vehicles, pe-

estrians and crash barriers. Eight ultrasound sensors monitor

he zones directly in front of the car and at its corners.

When the ACC* Stop & Go is switched on, the traffic

am assistant continuously evaluates the speed of the car and of

hose in the immediate vicinity. If it detects from the data a

raffic jam at speeds of less than 60 km/h, the driver can activate

he function at the push of a button.

The corridor in which the traffic jam assistant moves

he car is considerably broader than the lane between the lines,

nabling a degree of offset to the car in front. If it is necessary

o form a rescue lane or drive around an obstacle, the system

ollows the path of the car in front. The radar sensors recognize

not only the vehicle in front, but also other cars in front of it,

nabling the system to calculate a convoy route. When pulling

way and decelerating, the traffic jam assistant behaves like the

ACC Stop & Go and reacts to vehicles that cut in or leave the lane.

Pre sense city

Protection in city traffic

Under threat of a rear end collision many Audi models can

already brake automatically in the last few meters if the driver

is no longer in a position to take action himself. The brand’s en-

gineers are developing this function further.

Automatic emergency braking in city traffic, known

as Pre sense city* is based on a new kind of sensor technology

derived from development work in which Audi was heavily in-

volved. The PMD sensor (PMD = Photo Mix Detector) is a tiny chip

that can take three-dimensional measurements and thus oper-

ate with far greater precision than conventional sensors. It can

recognize both driving and stationary targets and remains active

in the dark, rain or strong sunlight.

Under threat of a rear end collision at speeds of up

to 65 km/h, Pre sense city warns the driver with a short braking

impulse. If he does not react, the system applies the full force

of the brakes around one second prior to impact, thus lowering

the collision speed by up to 30 km/h.

Another important function is anticipatory pedes-

trian protection; the PMD sensor recognizes them at a distance

of up to 20 meters. If it identifies a risky situation, the system

decides whether an emergency braking maneuver is necessary.

If so, full braking also ideally occurs around one second prior to

impact. The maximum possible speed reduction of 30 km/h

means that, in some cases, the car can even come to a halt in

time. The anticipatory Pre sense technology* also provides very

good protection for cyclists.

Anticipatory pedes-trian protection –

in an ideal situation,Pre sense city canavoid a collision al-together.

asing the load –

he traffic jamssistant is active

when driving iso fun.

Active Emergency Brake

Protection at higher speed

For automatic emergency braking at speeds above 65 km/h, Audi

is developing a further extension of the Pre sense system*. At

its heart is a laser scanner – the particular strengths of this tech-

nology lie in its ability to see long distances, its high precision

and its wide included angle. The laser also scans the area along

the sides of the vehicle and can thus identify structures at the

side of the road. If there is an obstacle in front of the vehicle –

like the end of a traffic jam – the system can assess whether the

driver is able to avoid a collision.

If an avoidance maneuver is no longer possible, the

system issues an early warning and, if necessary, applies the

emergency brakes. The strategy enables it to reduce speed quite

significantly and thus considerably reduce the severity of the

accident. It can also help in situations where the driver is unable

to react himself due to a medical emergency. In certain sce-

narios, it is feasible that a braking maneuver initiated by the

system will be able to avoid an accident altogether, even from a

high initial speed.

Active Belt Buckle

New solutions for restraint systems

Audi is also working continuously on the development of re-

straint systems. One new feature could be active belt buckles

for rear-seat passengers operated via small electric motors.

When the rear door is opened, the active belt buckle rises a few

centimeters, enabling the passenger to fasten the belt with

ease before it then retracts to its resting position. Under threat

of a collision, it retracts a little further, thus tightening the

belt. This sequence is reversible.

As a general principle, Audi wants to network the

adaptive restraint system more closely with its new assistance

technologies. Forward-looking sensors like PMD diodes* can

detect an imminent collision usually several seconds before it

occurs, and at the same time assess the speed and size of the

other party. The activation of the adaptive belt force limiter and

the adaptive front airbags then occurs in accordance with this

information.

Radio contact –using car-to-xvehicles can warneach other

at intersections.

Intersection Assistant

For intersections

The intersection assistant has been specially developed to avoid

collisions at intersections or to mitigate their consequences.

Two radar sensors and a wide-angle video camera capture the

area in front of the vehicle and along its sides. The radar data

plays the main role, with the camera data serving as verification.

If the sensors identify a vehicle approaching from the side, the

system issues warnings and information on several levels.

As a further development of the sensor-supported

intersection assistant, Audi is investigating a second variant

based on car-to-x communication* – on the radio contact be-

tween the two possible parties to an accident. At intersections

known to be accident black-spots, it would also be conceivable

to install a permanent modem that takes into account the status

of the traffic signal.

Car-to-x technology has a number of benefits – it

functions at intersections where sensor visibility is restricted,

can cover large distances and transmit vehicle-specific infor-

mation. The deployment of the airbags, for example, could be

based specifically on the mass of the other party.

I l l u s t r a t i o n s : s x c e s C o m m u n i c a t i o n



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Warning when opening doors

More safety on exiting the car

The exit warning, too, makes use of the Audi side assist radar

sensors – it is a major help when exiting the car in situations of

poor visibility. When the driver or a passenger wants to open

the door, the sensors check whether another vehicle or cyclist

approaching from behind is dangerously close and traveling at

a critical speed.

The warning issued in this situation can be a bright

light in the door, accompanied by an acoustic signal. Tactile

warnings are also being investigated – like all assistan c

audi encounter technology magazine 12-20-2011

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