It is a significant milestone on Audi’s journey towards across-the-board sustainability: In the long run, elements for the manufacturing of batteries at Audi’s Brussels plant will now not be delivered by truck from Hungary, however by rail with DB Cargo. The transfer will radically scale back Audi’s environmentally dangerous carbon emissions and save so much of cash. The change in means of delivery between Hungary and Brussels, which was began in May and is scheduled to be accomplished by the start of 2023, is a preview of the automotive producer’s future: “Brussels plays a pioneering role, but we developed this sustainable logistics concept for battery modules and cells in Audi’s entire production network,” says Dieter Braun, Head of Supply Chain at AUDI AG – sooner or later, ideally all manufacturing websites will implement this resolution.
Switching to rail reduces emissions and saves cash
The venture in Brussels illustrates the immense potential of this provide chain idea: Until now, battery modules and cells wanted in Belgium for the Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback have been transported by truck over the roughly 1,300-kilometer-long route from the provider in Hungary. To meet the Belgian website’s demand, twelve to 15 absolutely loaded automobiles set off throughout Europe every single day. This caravan of vehicles is now being changed by rail transport. The change will scale back carbon emissions by round 2,600 tons yearly. Wherever attainable, Audi makes use of DB Cargo’s DBeco plus service – for instance, presently for the legs of the route in Austria and Germany: The service sources energy solely from renewable sources similar to wind, water, or photo voltaic vitality, making transport carbon-free. In Hungary and Belgium, Audi makes use of DBeco impartial. With this product, the facility used for transportation is offset by means of local weather certificates, decreasing carbon emissions elsewhere.
Volker Germann, Chairman of the Board of Management at Audi Brussels, explains the importance of this strategy for the Brussels plant: “Our site has already been net carbon neutral since 2018. Therefore, we’re also working to make the supply chain sustainable in order to contribute to environmental protection at all levels.” An extra profit, the change additionally lowers annual course of prices by hundreds of thousands. In addition to decreasing carbon emissions via switching to rail, all the delivery course of to the Brussels plant has been optimized.
The provider of the battery modules in Hungary doesn’t have its personal rail siding. Therefore, AUDI AG’s long-standing venture associate DB Cargo lately put a logistics middle (LC) into operation on the Győr website. At the weather-protected LC, battery modules are reloaded from vehicles to rail automobiles for delivery. The modules are first picked up from the producer by truck and transported from the Győr LC greater than 1,000 kilometers by rail to Brussels. Initially, a light-weight corridor was constructed within the instant neighborhood of the Audi plant in Győr; an extra enlargement is already being deliberate. In order to meet the top quality and security necessities for battery modules and cells, the Audi Supply Chain staff makes use of a digital info platform and particular sensor know-how to monitor the temperature and any shocks within the rail automobiles.
An organization-wide idea
The shift pioneered by Brussels is deliberate to be prolonged to all the firm within the foreseeable future: High-turnover elements, similar to battery modules and cells, will more and more change to delivery by rail – by 2025, Audi goals to transport these elements solely by prepare. At Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, for instance, all the things is prepared to go for the manufacturing of batteries utilizing modules and cells shipped by rail; the batteries will then be used to manufacture Audi fashions on website. New tools and processes have been put in particularly for this objective. And different vegetation are already ready within the wings to change to rail delivery of battery elements. Similarly, a big share of the completed merchandise are additionally shipped by rail: Today, round 68 p.c of Audi automobiles in Europe already depart the vegetation by rail, a determine that’s set to solely enhance sooner or later.
Integration in environmental program Mission:Zero
These targets dovetail with the company-wide environmental program Mission:Zero, by which the model with the 4 rings seeks to obtain web carbon neutrality in any respect Audi websites by 2025. In addition to the decarbonization of manufacturing and logistics, water use, useful resource effectivity, and biodiversity are different key areas of exercise for the Mission:Zero program.
