2022 – a lesson about the power of team spirit

Sometimes you only understand what really counts in life, when you have to get along without it for a longer period of time. To meet and exchange in person, for instance! 2022 was almost back to normal in many ways. For me personally, one thing is for sure: I am thrilled to enjoy personal relationships again, exchange of ideas face to face, getting together in person and not only virtually. Even if we′ve learned a lot through the pandemic when it comes to digital life.

To get to where we are now, we have had to overcome quite a few hurdles in the past twelve months. To say the least: The challenges the year 2022 offered, were again manifold. Our already stretched supply chains (another result of the pandemic) were further burdened with bottlenecks due to the terrible war in Ukraine. In addition, covid-related lockdowns in China, caused many dealerships to close and prolonged production delays, whilst a steep rise in energy costs globally, deepened already existing economic uncertainties. In many countries inflation has increased to record levels.

Nevertheless, our international team has done a truly excellent job, and we experienced many impressive highlights over recent months. We had so much exchange at events like the Audi Retail Partner Convention, the NEW SALES 2030 camp, the Audi Twin Cup, the Audi Night of Progress and above all our many #Listen. Learn. Exchange. sessions in Ingolstadt, Wolfsburg and internationally.

Despite the challenges, our international Team has done a truly excellent job.

2022 was also the year of big ideas and big decisions: In summer we announced to enter Formula 1! In 2026 we will be on the racetracks – an international team of experts has already begun preparing for this exhilarating project. We introduced our visionary Sphere concept cars and the A6 e-tron concept. Never have I ever received more feedback on a LinkedIn Post! Our latest introduction was the Audi Q8 e-tron, the flagship of our electric fleet. These vehicles embody our vision of the future: the transition to electric mobility and automated driving will ensure our holistic approach, from products to infrastructure and even digital customer hubs that provide an unprecedented level of connectivity. Our newest cars demonstrate that for us, future is truly an attitude.

On the sales front, too, we have achieved strong results, due to smart sales steering and efficient teamwork. Ultimately the customer is, more than ever, the focus of everything we do, and human centricity is not just a nice phrase – it’s a key belief. Our recent sales statistics reflect this, for instance the figures for the deliveries of our fully electric vehicles: They increased by 45 percent from January until September 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. Another example of how we have shown strength in difficult circumstances.

However, there are some tasks ahead we are still working on to improve customer satisfaction even more. Delivery times of our most sought-after models have been long in 2022, offers were restricted, and like everything else, mobility is unfortunately becoming more expensive. That′s why I′m even more impressed by the great loyalty our customers have shown during the last year. We will pay it off with emotional products and fascinating experiences in and around the car. Nevertheless, we have to prepare for the fact that the economy will continue to be under pressure worldwide in 2023.

Yet looking at the next year, we feel confident. The Audi activesphere concept will enter the limelight at the beginning of the new year. The Q8 e-tron, as I mentioned, has been launched and will be available in Europe next spring. And in the second half of 2023, the Audi Q6 e-tron will follow, another milestone in our range of fully electric SUVs.

So much more to come …

And there’s so much more to come in 2023! At the end of this year, it is therefore so important that we recharge our batteries. Use this time to rest and spend time with your loved ones – we will all be back after the turn of the year, ready to face next year’s challenges with fresh motivation and ideas. For now, a big thank you to everybody in our international sales and marketing team, and of course a heartfelt thank you to all our customers for their loyalty.

I am looking forward to the new year with confidence and great excitement! And I wish all the best to everyone during the festive season.

#Audi #FutureIsAnAttitude #eMobility #CustomerCentricity #BigIdeas