*This article is reproduced from the autocarweekly WeChat account.
Author: Du Debiao
Environmental protection is one of the themes of today’s world.
Whether it is human living or industrial transformation and upgrading, more and more industries and fields have been or are being included in the “environmental protection” theme. Therefore, “environmental protection” is broad in scope, comprehensive in content, complex in system, and complicated in definition. Among them, some are policy requirements, and some come from brand self-restraint norms.
For fashion brands, people in this field rarely jump out and look at and appreciate everything beyond “beauty” and “beauty” from an external perspective. However, there are always some brands that create value and gain inspiration and power in other fields while focusing on fashion aesthetics.
Many internationally leading brands are using products made from renewable nylon materials. The products of these internationally leading brands not only have cutting-edge design concepts, but also dare to break through in material selection, artistic creation, and other aspects. With works that showcase personal style, they have won the love of consumers and ultimately become a signpost leading the industry trend.
Compared with the fashion industry, the competition in the automotive industry is particularly fierce. If you are involved in it, you need to pay attention to more information, be familiar with more areas, and have more skills. In the current industry competition, every brand is looking for a fulcrum that can lever the development of the industry. This requires car manufacturers not only to solve the “low fuel consumption, pure electric proportion structure transformation” and other necessary examination points, but also to actively embrace and adapt to the development and changes of the times.
As “Generation Z” pours into the automotive market and actively expresses its requirements for dream cars, the way of playing in the automotive industry has been completely overturned and there is no trace to follow. Above performance, vehicles are added with more elements, and thus a series of definitions and concepts are spawned…
Faced with such a challenging and unknown era, whether it is the automotive industry or the fashion industry, if you want to stand in the market for a long time, you must only grasp the pulse of the times and make accurate predictions of future trends.
Even if these are achieved, it is not enough to ensure that it can survive and develop well under the cruel innovative mechanism and ever-changing market changes. In order to minimize its own risks, more and more brands have focused on “cross-border cooperation”. This marketing measure aims to improve brand awareness and influence, obtain more valuable users, enhance exposure and attractiveness, and achieve “1+1>2” win-win results by sharing both user groups, channel resources, marketing channels, etc.
It is breaking boundaries, but also an exploration of possibilities.On the opening day of “Design Shanghai” 2021, Audi, as the exclusive naming partner of “Design Shanghai”, joined hands with well-known fashion brand Stella McCartney to bring the first pure electric luxury supercar of the Audi brand, the Audi e-tron GT quattro, to the Audi x Stella McCartney joint exhibition stand.
No matter how the times change, Audi is always Audi. The only change is that it will become an Audi that exceeds your imagination.
Currently, in the initial stage of the transformation of the automotive industry, where the boundaries are blurry and the ecological landscape is being reshaped, no brand can afford to stay in one place and face the waves and changes of the automotive market according to the rules. What follows will be a huge test of the participants’ control and action capabilities.
As the first automaker to enter the Chinese market, FAW-Volkswagen Audi announced its “10 Golden Years of Audi” brand plan when it was in its prime. It is expected to achieve a sales target of over one million vehicles annually in China within the next three years. To achieve this, FAW-Volkswagen Audi has officially launched the “Audi Brand Comprehensive Renewal” program.
Through a series of continuous marketing activities such as the “Air Racecourse” and “Sea Racecourse”, Audi is constantly strengthening its sports attributes. From working with Wang Yibo to enhance emotional connections with “Generation Z”, to creating the first virtual car owner in the history of Audi brands with Bilibili, and to teaming up with the “TOP Esports Club” in the League of Legends championship tournament.
It can be seen that FAW-Volkswagen Audi has unconsciously covered almost all the areas that young users are enthusiastic about nowadays. At the same time, through in-depth systemic innovation, more effective dialogue mechanisms have been established with “Generation Z”. And this is the opportunity to open the door to the future.
This partnership with fashion brand Stella McCartney is Audi’s “muscle showing” in the fashion circle. After all, the visual system and car-making concept of the Audi brand have always been the benchmark of the global automotive industry. After the brand renewal, it can still bring aesthetics that transcend the times and the understanding of the automotive industry.
It is worth noting that Audi’s brand renewal is synchronized globally and in the Chinese market. This move is enough to demonstrate the high value of the Audi brand in the Chinese market and also demonstrates the important influence and irreplaceability of FAW-Audi on the development of the Audi brand in the Chinese market.
With the comprehensive opening of the new era for the Audi brand, FAW-Volkswagen Audi, bearing significant mission, will continue to rely on its deep insight into the Chinese automobile market and innovative marketing strategies, striving to lead the industry’s revolution and promote its development. By making the heritage of the 100-year pursuit spirit more fashionable, the Audi brand will become more emotionally appealing and more desirable.
Sustainability in Car Design
In daily life and work, people are already accustomed to the concept of “renewable resources.” Everyone has this awareness, for example, in addition to paying attention to decoration materials, we usually use activated charcoal to remove formaldehyde after decorating our new homes.
As for clothing, we only require that the materials be skin-friendly, and we don’t care about what happens to them after they have served their purpose for a period of time.
For high-end fashion brands, this is their primary concern. For example, Gucci, Burberry, and other top international brands have gradually used Econyl materials made from 100% recycled fibers. At the “Design Shanghai” exhibition, the Falabella Logo Go bag (Stella McCartney) was also made of this material. Surprisingly, all of Econyl’s constituent materials come from production waste, discarded textiles, old carpets, or discarded fishing nets. Thanks to advanced recycling technology, these abandoned materials have been given new life.
At this exhibition, the Audi e-tron GT quattro and the Falabella Logo Go bag designed by Stella McCartney appeared together at the Audi x Stella McCartney joint booth. The former not only displays a racing style but also presents a creative avant-garde design concept, such as a low-slung stance, an integrated closed front grille, exaggerated sporty trims, and the classic Audi GT fastback styling. The latter, on the other hand, represents a bright yet elegant high fashion style. Although these two brands have distinctive styles, they cooperate based on their shared brand philosophy of sustainable development.The interior materials of Audi e-tron GT quattro has undergone factory-level quality processing. It perfectly blends sporty and comfortable elements, showcasing the unique luxurious texture of Audi pure electric sports cars. The carpets and floor mats in the car are made of Econyl materials, which are composed of 100% regenerated fibers (made from production waste, discarded textiles, old carpets, or discarded fishing nets). There are two optional packages for seats, one is a Kaskade material mixture with synthetic leather, and the other is a Dinamica ultra-fine fiber material mixture with synthetic leather.
Surprisingly, both option packages use recycled materials, such as PET bottles, fabrics, or fiber fragments. The selection of interior materials highlights the sustainable characteristics of Audi e-tron GT quattro. At the same time, it also demonstrates the Audi brand’s “sustainable design concept” and Audi’s confidence and determination to lead the future of pure electric sustainable mobility.
Embracing Change, Remaining Unchanged: the Vanguard of the Tide
“Leading the future of pure electric sustainable mobility” is the unwavering belief that Audi expresses facing the new era. Even when transitioning from the era of internal combustion engines to electrification, Audi remains the “vanguard of the tide” leading the trend.
Apart from its glorious brand history, what time has brought to Audi is its understanding and insight into the automobile industry and its grasp of the demands of “generation Z” car buyers after a century of pondering in the field. To find a more appealing way of expressing itself, Audi breaks through the industry barriers, collaborates with fashion design pioneers, and uses recycled materials for its interior… All of these may be the result of Audi’s basic capabilities while facing a brand new transformation. It’s the “mandatory course” for the Audi brand to respond to this era of innovation — issues such as “transforming the structure of low fuel consumption and pure electric ratio.”
The pursuit of performance is an option that Audi will never overlook in any era. After all, no matter how powerful the powertrain configuration of a luxury car is, it ultimately has to showcase the ultimate kinetic energy of the vehicle.
Performance
The Audi e-tron GT quattro has a maximum total output power (comprehensive output power) of 350 kilowatts (kW). In the initial acceleration stage, the car can provide a continuous boost of 2.5 seconds and a maximum torque of 630 N·m with a 390 kW turbocharged acceleration. It only takes 4.1 seconds for the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. Such high performance is due to the structure of the two-speed gearbox. Since the first gear has a high gear ratio, it can fully stimulate adrenaline in the starting and boost modes.### Pure Electric Four-wheel Drive
Compared with traditional four-wheel drive technology, the electric four-wheel drive based on sustainable development concept not only provides more safety guarantees, but also has a mission of “energy-saving and efficiency-improving”. After entering the “efficiency” mode, the Audi e-tron GT quattro can improve the efficiency; when driving on steep slopes or making sharp turns, the rear-wheel drive mode will be automatically activated. Compared with mechanical four-wheel drive, the torque distribution of electric four-wheel drive between front and rear axles can be completed within a few thousandths of a second, which is 5 times faster than the switching speed of mechanical “quattro”.
In addition, the new car is also equipped with Audi’s unique “efficient glide” mode, which means that when you release the accelerator pedal, the vehicle can enter the glide state in almost zero consumption mode; and when braking, without relying on the braking system, the electric motor can independently decelerate with a G value of about 0.3g, which meets the needs of most daily braking scenarios. When braking, the motor can recover 265 kilowatts (kW) of energy.
Breakthrough Limits and Empower Unlimited Future
When it comes to the relationship between Audi and sustainable development, I think it is not only limited to the use of vehicle body materials or the abundance of sustainable design concepts; it is more about “when everyone used internal combustion engines, Audi was already a car that made people’s heart beat faster.” In the era of electrification, Audi, with exquisite skills and strong performance, is still the preferred choice for energy-saving and efficient pioneers.
Although Audi seems to be frozen in a certain moment, even if its appearance may change in the future, the spirit and concept of the Audi brand will continue to be carried forward. This is the important significance of the “sustainable design concept” brought by Audi.
Therefore, the image of Audi in our hearts will probably present a state that extends far beyond, not only the youthful brand image and powerful technical strength presented by the Audi e-tron GT quattro, but also the human warmth that people may perceive from the touch of the interior when sitting in the Audi e-tron GT quattro in the future, which is in sympathy with the environment and creatures.
It is precisely based on this warmth that the vision of the Audi brand goes further than the future. It is the existence and regeneration oriented towards the future, as well as the ultimate performance and pioneer personality oriented towards demand. Therefore, the Audi brand will go to a better future with every user.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.