A heavy investment into Audi’s future is getting ready to take place. From now until 2016, the German brand plans of putting a total of $17 billion for new product and technology developement as well as facility updates. In 2012 alone, upward of 1,200 “specialists” will be hired both in Germany and internationally. “We are aiming to achieve strong growth on an international scale and boost our lightweight construction and electric mobility areas of expertise in particular. That is why we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1,200 experts next year,” said Thomas Sigi, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at Audi.
Most of the investment will be seen by Audi’s home turf. Germany is expected to receive about $10.5 billion for updates to the assembly plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. The 2012-2016 program will be the largest investment in Audi’s history and most of it will be put into new products. Those new items will very from hybrid drives to full-fledged electric vehicles. Assembly plants in Germany will get new paint, body and press shops to put out even more innovative cars and utilities. The first product of the investment will be seen next year in the form of the A8 Hybrid.
Source: Audi
