Why Audi no longer believes in self-driving cars

The development of self-driving cars has already cost $100 billion and is still yielding little. Investors have less and less confidence in them and the tech companies themselves are coming back. Audi, for example, doesn’t like it anymore.

Various media, including the Handelsblatt and the Reuters news agency, report that the Artemis project is on the brink. The prestige project was announced in 2020 and should result in an electric, largely autonomous luxury sedan for Audi, Porsche and Bentley. The first Artemis model should have hit the market in 2024.

Porsche had to pay Audi 100 million

However, earlier this year, cracks began to appear in the Volkswagen Group’s prestige project. Porsche announced its exit from the collaboration and reportedly had to pay Audi 100 million euros in damages. The manufacturer said he wanted to go his own way in the electronics sector.

Level 4 self-driving cars will not exist

The Artemis project should deliver advanced electric cars with level 4 autonomy. However, in the latter area, the developers have not managed to make any progress. Therefore, Volkswagen boss Oliver Blume is expected to put an end to the project.

Volkswagen is struggling with software problems

His predecessor Herbert Diess had to leave the field last summer. He is held responsible for the ongoing problems in the Volkswagen Group. For example, the introduction of the ID.3 was anything but smooth due to serious software problems. And they also have to struggle with this at Porsche. The Macan EV has been pushed back to 2024 due to software issues.

Development of new software platforms

The Volkswagen Group still believes in self-driving cars, but we certainly won’t see much of that in the next eight years. The focus shifts to the development of new software platforms. The doomed Artemis project wasn’t a waste of money, as elements of it will return in future Audis and Porsches.