Audi Is Using the A2 e-tron to Reinvent How It Builds and Develops Cars

[Source: Audi]

The new Audi A2 e-tron is important for plenty of reasons. It brings back one of Audi’s most interesting nameplates, gives the brand a new entry-level electric model, and promises to be the most efficient Audi ever built. But the A2 e-tron may prove equally important for something owners will never see. Audi completely changed how it develops and builds the car.

Production of the A2 e-tron has now begun at Audi’s Ingolstadt plant, and the numbers behind the production process are arguably as interesting as those on the car’s spec sheet. Audi says it shortened the time between development and production readiness by 21 months compared with previous vehicle projects. Streamlined processes and lessons learned from earlier programs allowed the A2 e-tron to reach maturity earlier during pre-series production.

Audi also attacked something that has increasingly become an issue for modern automakers, complexity. The A2 e-tron uses significantly fewer production-relevant part numbers, reducing the amount of space, storage, and logistics required to keep the assembly line moving. Audi is also introducing its “string-of-pearls” production system to Ingolstadt, locking in the sequence of customer orders six days before assembly begins so suppliers can deliver components in exactly the order they’re needed.

Audi Isn’t Starting From Scratch

Perhaps the most interesting part is how much existing equipment Audi is reusing. A2 e-tron bodies are manufactured alongside the A3, and more than 1,200 existing production components are getting another life. That includes approximately 250 robots previously used to manufacture other Audi models.

Automation is increasing as well. Robots now handle wheel installation completely automatically, while camera-guided “bin picking” robots can identify and retrieve components from containers in the body shop. Audi’s Edge Cloud 4 Production system also centralizes several assembly functions, eliminating the need for more than 450 industrial PCs. AI-powered assistants are even being deployed to help employees find technical information and diagnose maintenance problems.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says the A2 e-tron demonstrates how the company is “developing faster, producing more efficiently,” while strengthening its competitiveness in Germany. That makes the A2 e-tron more than Audi’s latest EV. It could be the blueprint for how the next generation of Audis gets from the drawing board to your driveway.