Audi launches the A2 e-tron amid Volkswagen's extensive restructuring

The new model was presented at an event in Paris recently. Gernot Döllner believes that the car shows Audi's renewal. With a strong focus on aerodynamics, it is the brand's most energy-efficient car. Consumption should be as low as 1.28 kWh per mile, with a range of 65 miles on a charge.

It will be Audi's new entry-level model after other smaller models have been phased out and the hope is to attract new customers to test electrics when the price tag becomes lower. The A2 e-tron also picks up on the European nostalgia trend by alluding to the cult-declared budget car A2 that disappeared 20 years ago.

- Premium is no longer just about power and speed, but about how we use the resources and then energy efficiency is an important issue, says Gernot Döllner.

Volkswagen's board recently approved a strong savings package that means 100,000 fewer employees by 2030. The number of car models is also to be significantly reduced to remedy the profitability problems. VW's falling profits are mainly due to a sales slump in China, high costs in Germany, a tariff slap in the US and new tough competition from Chinese manufacturers who are also challenging on the premium side.

- We are part of the restructuring plan and are looking at how we can concretely reduce costs, says Gernot Döllner.

Is it even possible to manufacture cars in Germany with the high cost level?

- It is a question that we must answer. We can only manufacture in Germany if we reduce labor costs. We have to make our processes and factories more efficient, says Gernot Döllner.

The factory in Neckarsulm in southern Germany, with 15,000 employees, is the one hanging loose. The largest factory in Ingolstadt, where the head office is also located, is safer. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the new A2 e-tron will be manufactured there. In the production of the new car, a large part of existing robots will be used, which reduces the need for investment.

- I have already been forced to close a factory in Brussels and it was the toughest decision in my career. I will do everything to avoid a factory closure, says Gernot Döllner.

The problems for the Volkswagen group have raised the question of the future of the entire European car industry. Gernot Döllner does not want to call it a crisis, but "fundamental upheaval".

- I think we will have a car industry in Europe, but only if we change our industry fundamentally in terms of efficiency, costs, labor costs and in some areas we have to regain the technical leadership, he says and also highlights that a changed attitude is required in the whole society for Europe to assert itself.

- We must all be prepared to make an extra effort, he says.

With the A2 e-tron, Audi has shortened the development time by around 21 months. The car has been developed in just over three years. It can be compared to the fact that it is said to take about 24 months to develop a car in China, but some do it even faster.

Is this a new standard?

- The new standard may even be faster in the future, says Gernot Döllner.