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Audi: record profit as 'biggest product initiative' in its history gets underway

Audi Group CEO Markus Duesmann   Even as the Audi Group (VOW.DE), VW’s luxury division, is in the midst of a huge EV transformation it still needs to perform where it counts — the bottom line. And so it is doing just that.  On Thursday the Audi Group - which is dominated volume-wise by Audi, but also includes Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ducati - posted record revenue and operating profit in 2022. That shouldnÂ’t be a surprise given what the industry has been seeing at the highest end of the market - record performances despite macroeconomic jitters across the globe. But that it's happening as the group is noteworthy.  “We are on the verge of the biggest product initiative in our history,” Audi Group CEO Markus Duesmann said at a news conference earlier on Thursday. “By 2025, we will have launched around 20 new models, more than 10 of which will be all-electric. We have set the course to go 100% electric. By 2027, we seek to offer an all-electric vehicle in each core segment.”   This is all part of Audi GroupÂ’s Vorsprung 2030 plan, which seeks to have all of the groupÂ’s new models be electric by 2026 — and to end traditional gas-powered engine production by 2033. To that end, the group saw EV deliveries jump 44% (in 2022) compared to 2021 to over 118,000 vehicles, with the share of EVs rising to 7.2% from 4.8% in the prior year. Audi is also launching its first EV using the PPE (premium platform electric), which was developed together with Porsche. That EV, the Audi Q6 e-tron, will be unveiled later this year. (Past Audi EVs shared corporate parent VWÂ’s electric platform.) “With the Audi Q6 e-tron, e-mobility is coming from Ingolstadt (Audi HQ) for the first time,” Duesmann said in a statement. “To this end, weÂ’re also building a dedicated battery assembly facility on site. This will enable us to retain important know-how here in Germany and train our employees in future fields.” AudiÂ’s German rivals of course are also leaning in hard on their EV transformations. That makes it all the more important that Audi get its EV strategy right—and launched in a timely manner.

Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash

After surveying the European economic scene, Volkswagen may have decided now is not the time to launch utility vehicles with Bentley and Lamborghini badges. Bentley officials say they will continue to push for support for the EXP 9 F and Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman has said planning for the Urus will continue until VW tells it to stop.
That decision could come on November 23, when VW's board will vote on the company's budget for equipment, factories and vehicles. With VW's sales slowing and the Euro economy slumping further, some industry watchers say the company is more likely to build its cash reserves than to introduce super-expensive luxury SUVs or crossovers.
"Such vehicles are anything but obligatory during a crisis," says Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst Tim Schuldt in a new Automotive News Europe story. "Delaying their launch would be no drama but help save costs."

Lamborghini Urus pair completes 4,000-mile trip across Japan

Two Lamborghini Urus crossovers have completed a month-long journey across Japan. Conceived as a marketing stunt, the pair traveled over 4,000 miles, collecting some truly breathtaking scenery along the way. The idea of a long-distance drive to promote a new vehicle has been a long-held tradition in Japan. It was a much bigger achievement back in the 1960s, when Japan's expressway system was just getting underway. Many local roads were still rough, and it was considered uncommon for cars to drive all-out at high speeds for sustained lengths of time. Nowadays, it's not particularly difficult for any modern car to complete such treks, especially when you're talking about a 641-horsepower, 626-pound-foot luxury SUV. In fact, it must be quite the exercise in restraint in modulating the 4.0-liter V8, capable of a 190 mph top speed, since the highest speed limit in Japan is about 75 mph and speed cameras are everywhere. Still, it was a chance for Lamborghini to capture some beautiful photos along the way. The Urus almost looks out of place against ancient shrines and lush bamboo forests. They even paused to shoot at Himeji Castle in Bizen City and Shirakawa village in Gifu Prefecture, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. From snowy mountains to rocky coastlines, cherry blossom-lined avenues to massive steel bridges connecting Japan's islands, the variation in backdrops is something to behold. The two Urus vehicles used in the trip were finished in Giallo Inti (yellow) and Blu Astraeus (dark blue), both featuring a customizable Lamborghini paint option called Pearl Capsule. Created by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile design department, it basically adds a black finish to the roof, spoiler and front air dam. Cabin-wise, Pearl Capsule adds two-tone coloring, hexagon stitching on the seats with carbon fiber and black anodized aluminum details throughout the interior. The option can also be paired with Arancio Borealis (orange) and Verde Mantis (green) exterior colors. The trip started in far western Japan on the island of Kyushu, then traced the country's northern coast along the Sea of Japan up to the northernmost island of Hokkaido. Then it snaked down the Pacific coast to its final destination of Tokyo. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.