Audi to introduce series principle in development

The idea behind the so-called ‘model series principle’ is bundling the development of cars that are largely similar. In the case of Audi, that would be the A6, A7, and A8, which are all luxury models, or the A3 and A4, which are both compact models. Each of these product groups would get one manager, who accompanies the vehicle from development to the finished product.

By eliminating some of the hierarchical levels, Döllner hopes to speed up development. It is definitely an area where the carmaker has room to improve. The Q6 e-tron, for example, launched significantly later than initially planned due to software problems during development. “Problems in technical development are increasingly jeopardising the car manufacturer’s brand promise (’Vorsprung durch Technik‘) and have already cost Döllner’s predecessor Markus Duesmann his job,” comments the German Handelsblatt.

There have already been some prominent departures at Audi recently. Oliver Hoffmann lost his position as Board Member for Development in February; CEO Döllner took over the role himself. Marcus Keith, one of the most important developers at Audi and most recently responsible for interior, infotainment and connectivity, also left the company. And Hildegard Wortmann resigned from her position as Audi Board Member for Sales. However, Geoffrey Bouqout, who comes from French supplier Valeo, where he was Chief Technology Officer, is new on board as the new Board Member for Innovation and Software-Defined Vehicles.

The ‘model series principle’ is something that Audi would adopt from sister company Porsche, where Döllner was in charge of the Panamera model series from 2011 to 2018. Parent company VW also adopted the principle a few years ago, while competitor BMW relies on a similar approach.

handelsblatt.com (in German)