The Better Future Conference saw Markus Duesmann share his take on future mobility topics
- On sustainability…
- On the EU’s ICE ban and the use of e-fuels…
- On the circular economy…
- On the mobility transition in China, Europe and the U.S….
The Better Future Conference saw Markus Duesmann share his take on future mobility topics. The session with the AUDI AG CEO focused on how Audi is driving sustainable mobility and systematically transitioning to e-mobility. At the invitation of the German newspaper WELT, Duesmann joined the event, which attracts decision-makers from politics, business and society, via video call. The event was taking place for the sixth time. The key take-aways at a glance:
On sustainability…
- “Sustainability in all its forms is set to play an increasingly central role for our company. In many areas, we are actually going above and beyond what policymakers require, for example, undergoing an ESG rating. Plus, we have given our employees long-term job security with the employment guarantee until 2029.”
On the EU’s ICE ban and the use of e-fuels…
- “We will have phased out the ICE by 2033. But this decision entails significant investments in our products, plants and supply chains. As such, we need clarity on the technology – both for our company and for our customers, who want to know whether they are going with the right drive system when they buy a car.”
- “E-fuels have an important role to play, especially in making the existing fleet of ICEs carbon-neutral. E-fuels are also the only decarbonization technology we know for air travel and ocean shipping. Within the Volkswagen Group, Porsche’s current e-fuels pilot plant in Chile is demonstrating that this technology really works.”
On the circular economy…
- “The circular economy is a major lever because any material we recycle, we don’t have to regenerate. We have multiple projects underway to achieve this. With our “MaterialLoop” project, Audi is taking the next steps in being able to recycle more and more materials from end-of-life vehicles in automobile production over the next few years.”
On the mobility transition in China, Europe and the U.S….
- “China is getting on the sustainability train. In the premium segment, we expect more than half the vehicles sold there to be all-electric as early as 2026.”
- “We take our Chinese competitors very seriously. But we also have the perfect response with ten new all-electric Audi models to launch in the next two years.”
- “The U.S. is creating a big impact with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). I wish Europe would show the same clarity in industrial policy.”
- “I believe it’s not just important but right for Europe to set ambitious targets for e-mobility. Because these targets create the pressure to develop new technologies, and that’s where our skillset lies.”
For more information on the Better Future Conference, please click here.
SOURCE: Audi
Keyword: Audi: CEO Markus Duesmann: “China is getting on the sustainability train, and our model initiative is the perfect response”