Audi is underperforming, so the director has to go now
Projection by technology? Not really. Audi lags behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz in terms of technology and electric offerings. That’s why Markus Duesmann, who has been managing director since 2020, has to go now.
We don’t mind that Audi has a bit of a problem. Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, recently expressed his concern about the limited advances Audi is making in the field of technology. He even noted that Tesla sold more cars than Audi in the first quarter of this year.
Audi boss is politely thanked
Duesmann is in focus and will soon have to pack his bags. On September 1, he will be replaced by Gernot Döllner, who is now head of strategy at the Volkswagen Group.
In a press release, of course, Duesmann is politely thanked for his time as CEO, but in reality he is not leaving the company in happy circumstances. He has little support from top management.
Audi is losing ground in China
While Audi’s global sales have increased over the past year, the premium German brand is losing ground in China and is bringing electric models to market at a much slower pace than BMW and Mercedes.
Oliver Blume was tough when he spoke about Audi a week ago. Due to software problems, the introduction of new electric models is increasingly delayed.
Project Artemis on the Chopping Block
For example, in December 2022 we wrote about the Artemis project, which should result in an electric semi-autonomous luxury sedan for Audi, Porsche and Bentley. The first Artemis model should have been launched in 2024. VW pulled the plug late last year.
Because at the beginning of 2022, cracks became apparent in the Volkswagen Group’s prestige project. Porsche announced the exit from the collaboration and reportedly had to pay 100 million euros in compensation.
The Artemis project should deliver advanced electric cars with level 4 autonomy. However, the developers have not been able to make any progress in the latter area.
Software problems in the Volkswagen Group
The Volkswagen Group has been dealing with software issues for some time. This weighed on the launch of the Volkswagen ID.3, among other things, and was the reason why the electric Porsche Macan was delayed by more than a year.