Bram Schot Speech At Geneva International Motor Show 2019

source: Audi AG

Bram Schot
Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to another historic moment for Audi. Just a few months ago, we made history with this car next to me. The Audi e-tron*, our first all-electric series model. At its world premiere, we sat down, shared some thoughts and introduced this great new member of the Audi family. Today, I will do just that.

At this special event in San Francisco, I referred to a saying that dates back to the times of Benjamin Franklin and his famous experiments with electricity. When you achieve something special, you have caught lightning in a bottle. We did just that with our new e-tron.

It marked the beginning of a new era for us at Audi. A new era in electric mobility. The e-tron is namely the first of many to come, delivering on our promise of Vorsprung durch Technik. Today, we’re taking this metaphor to the next level. So to speak, we have caught another three bolts of lightning in bottles.

This is the first-ever exhibition stand of our brand on a press-day to show only electrified cars.

Today, you are going to see the next two years of e-mobility made by Audi. The e-tron is just the first of its kind. And the response to this car – is overwhelming. The feedback we have got from you – the media – from our dealers, and foremost from our customers is very positive. In just a few days, we will start to deliver the e-tron worldwide.

The Audi e-tron embodies our definition of sustainable mobility. Sporty, with a great design and fully suitable for everyday life. And it embodies the transformation of our brand and of our company. We change the way we do business. Becoming more agile, leaner and open to new cooperation partners.

Staying true to ourselves, always questioning the status quo, being fearless, always striving for progress, and foremost focusing on what is relevant to our customers. We are convinced: Progress can only be achieved by following your own path. And when it comes to ideas and creativity, there is no “no”. Only the question: “Why not?”

We strive to delight our customers with a unique premium experience. And with e-tron, this experience becomes electrifying. What a line-up!

Ladies and gentlemen, electric mobility will transform the automotive business. And with these cars, we at Audi will be among the frontrunners. The Audi e-tron Sportback* follows close on the heels of its brother. You will see this car without the camouflage by the end of this year. The range of this emotive coupe is more than 400 kilometers, determined according to the WLTP standard. The e-tron Sportback is an even match for the original e-tron – just a little sleeker and even sportier.

Talking about sportiness: Take a look at the Audi e-tron GT concept*. In late 2020, this concept will go into production. The e-tron GT guarantees performance you expect from a sports car. And its design is absolutely stunning. It is another masterpiece by our Chief Designer, Marc Lichte, and his team.

The Audi Q4 e-tron concept* has the looks – and it has the range: more than 450 kilometers, determined according to WLTP. This compact SUV is the first Audi model developed on the new MEB platform. With this cross-brand architecture, we are once again utilizing the full potential of our Volkswagen Group synergies. And with opening up the compact segment to e-mobility, we enable even more people to drive electric. The production version of this concept will start in 2021.

But we’ve got some more highlights for you already this year. 2019 is the year of plug-in hybrids made by Audi. With these plug-in hybrids and our e-models, we are covering the whole range of our portfolio: By the end of next year, we will offer 12 electrified models. A benchmark in the premium segment! The broadest range on offer now. Five of the models I just mentioned will be all-electric.

I can see you all counting! There are only four of them here on stage. We’ll present the one that’s missing in a few weeks in Shanghai, because it’s been developed especially for the Chinese market. The Audi Q2 L e-tron* – a long version of the Q2, and of course, fully electric!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Audi kicks off into a new future. With strong commitment. And a strong vision for the future: Emission-free driving. Contributing to a greener and more sustainable mobility.

Thank you.