Audi has recently opened a new research and development site in Ingolstadt, Germany, dedicated to developing the software for its next generation of electric cars. The site, called incampus, will serve as the home of Cariad, Volkswagen Group’s in-house software division, and will also house Audi’s Vehicle Safety Center and other companies and institutions including Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt.
The construction of incampus was completed this month, but Cariad has been based there since 2020, with 2,000 employees working on software for various VW Group brands, including Porsche. This software will be used in the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) models that will be sold under the Audi and Porsche brands.
Cariad’s main task is to develop the 1.2 electronics architecture, which is the Volkswagen Group’s most important software architecture for the coming years. The division is also responsible for developing automated driving technologies, tech platforms, digital driving experiences, and cloud services for all VW Group brands.
The new tech hub also includes Audi’s Vehicle Safety Center, which features crash testing facilities to simulate different types of accidents. Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt has a lab on the site for digital testing of automated and connected driving technologies.
As part of Audi’s commitment to sustainability, the site incorporates an Energy Control Center to harness surplus heating and cooling energy and plans to produce as much renewable energy as it uses in the future.
While the opening of the new tech hub is a significant milestone for Audi, the company still faces challenges in catching up with competitors like Tesla in terms of software development and automated driving technology. However, Audi’s primary goal for now is to get its new electric vehicle models into production.
Sources: Graeme Fordham