Word: carlis
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...Audi just unveiled an electric sports car, the e-tron, which will be commercially available by 2012. So you're not totally against electric cars then? That illustrates how I think electrically powered cars are going to develop. You're going to get two opposite poles, and both of them are going to be driven by the very high costs associated with battery technology. On the one hand, you're going to find small, very light commuter cars, with relatively spartan equipment. They will have lighter, smaller batteries with significantly shorter driving range - essentially good for urban commutes...
...luxury carmakers, the economic downturn has been particularly harsh. But Audi has withstood the downturn better than most - the automaker's sales are down 9.6% in the U.S. this year, compared with an overall slide of 26.7% for all luxury cars. Still, Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi's U.S. division, says the company can't afford to ride out the recession without making changes - it needs to continue to innovate. That is why Audi is pushing forward with clean-diesel technology, which de Nysschen believes is the quickest way to get fuel-efficient, less-polluting cars on the road...
...Before the recession, Audi's stated goal was to surpass BMW and Mercedes as the top-selling luxury brand. Is that still doable? We said we wanted to be the most successful premium car company in the world. Many people interpret this as meaning we want to sell the most cars. To us, success is defined more broadly than that. Worldwide, we broke through the 1 million mark [in total sales] for the first time last year, which places us in a very strong No. 3 position globally [behind BMW and Mercedes]. But we want to be the most successful...
...Audi has also introduced the Spyder, a convertible version of its top-of-the-line R8 sports car. When will it be available in the U.S.? The Spyder will be available at the end of next year. It's a very exciting car. I wish I had one in my garage...
...culture of management at these companies needs to be rethought. They've got to stop catching the car with their teeth and overpaying for talent...