Under the guidance of new CEO Markus Duesmann, Audi has
established a small skunkworks team whose goal is to accelerate the development
of cars and technology, with the focus being on EVs and automated driving
technology.
Code-named Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the hunt, the
team is based in Audi's hometown of Ingolstadt, Germany, and headed by Alex
Hitzinger, who also heads
self-driving car development for the Volkswagen Group and previously
worked on Apple's Project Titan car team.
He's also worked in the world of motorsports, including with
Porsche in the World Endurance Championship and with Red Bull Racing and Cosworth
in Formula One, which has likely given him the experience to make quick
decisions under pressure and thus makes him ideal to head Artemis.
Artemis is run with a less bureaucratic style of management
to help it deliver faster decision making. Once the process is refined, the
same blueprint will eventually be implemented for the entire VW Group. This
will be essential as the automaker currently plans to add 75 EVs by 2029.
“With 75 planned electric models by 2029, the current
electric initiative at the Volkswagen Group naturally ties up all our
capacities,” Duesmann said in a statement. “The obvious question was how we
could implement additional high-tech benchmarks without jeopardizing the
manageability of existing projects, and at the same time utilize new
opportunities in the markets.”
The first project at Artemis is a highly advanced, highly
efficient electric car due in 2024. The team will also develop an extensive
ecosystem around the car, including a new business model. Other automakers that
have attempted new business models have introduced concepts such as car
subscriptions or car sharing. It remains to be seen what Artemis has planned.
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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