2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
Audi invests in the development of new products and technologies. The lion's share of the billions in investments goes to the German locations.
The car manufacturer Audi wants to reduce the gap on its rival BMW with sustained high investments. Despite the crisis in Europe, the VW subsidiary plans to invest around 13 billion euros in new products and plants and the expansion of existing factories by 2016. The VW subsidiary announced on Thursday in Ingolstadt that the investment program, which was increased in 2011, will be continued. Eight billion euros are to flow into the two German locations of Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.
Audi wants to replace BMW as the leading manufacturer of luxury cars by 2020. In the first eleven months of 2012, the Ingolstadt-based company was able to narrow the gap, but is still well behind the Munich-based company. Sales of Audi vehicles increased by 13 percent to 1.34 million by the end of November. BMW sold 1.67 million cars in the same period - an increase of ten percent.
Three-way battle with Daimler and BMW
Daimler also wants to reach the top. However, the Stuttgart-based company recently fell significantly behind its two Bavarian competitors, mainly because of the problems in China. By the end of November, Daimler had sold 1.29 million cars, just under five percent more than a year ago. In 2020, Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche wants to sell around 2.6 million cars. Audi has set itself the goal of more than two million by this year.
BMWdoes not name any specific medium-term sales targets, but wants to remain the market leader in the area. In order to defend its place at the top, BMW recently increased spending on research and development again. BMW boss Norbert Reithofer wants to increase the investment quota again. In 2010 and 2011, the Munich-based company only invested 5.4 percent of sales. At Audi it was more than six percent. (dpa)
