The boss of Audi does not want a SUV, and puts the problems of the manufacturers into perspective
In an interview on his vision of the future of the automobile, Markus Duesmann, the boss of Audi, took the opportunity to specify that he "did not need SUV" .Markus Duesmann delivered aint ...
22/02/2023
Dans une interview sur sa vision de l'avenir de l'automobile, Markus Duesmann, le patron d'Audi, a profité de l'occasion pour préciser qu'il ""n'avait pas besoin de SUV"".
Markus Duesmann delivered an interview full of common sense and objectivity to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.The one who made his arms at BMW has been, since April 2020, the boss of Audi.And his vision of the automobile is much more assertive and less polite than that of its predecessors, perhaps sometimes a little too much on a speech aimed at reassuring investors.
This is obviously not the case with Desmann.The man had already announced in recent months that the automotive industry did not need additional subsidies or state credits to survive the current crisis.""Almost all companies - manufacturers and suppliers - can survive"", according to him.He goes even further: ""I have not always been an engineer and manager, I was drummer, that's why I still know the normal world: if there are no concerts, no beer n 'is sold, so everything dies.Also look at how many stores should close permanently.It hurts me very.It's tragic.It is not tragic that we have 10 % less volume of sales.We can face this.Therefore: I consider it presumptuous to continue to promote the automotive industry "".
The interview, carried out at the home of the boss of Audi, shows a character passionate about two wheels (a lot of BMW), and by personalization.Some are walking in nitrogen.Duesmann likes to put his hand in the dough...
Le SUV ? Très peu pour luiA brand which has a catalog composed largely of SUV must, logically, to have a boss in tune with this product policy.But Duesmann acknowledges that this type of vehicle undergoes strong ""pressure"" and that the next Audi projects will not be raised vehicles, but more compact cars.
""In Europe, the SUV sometimes arouses fears because of its size.Vehicles are certainly better (than before) in pedestrian accidents, but they seem incompatible with narrow cities.This is why I understand perfectly when there is pressure.This is also why we look at how we develop other concepts.""
The following question brings a more personal answer, however. Le journaliste demande à Markus Duesmann si le patron d'Audi veut pouvoir ""rouler en hauteur"". L'intéressé dit ceci : ""non, je n'ai pas besoin d'un SUV, je n'en conduis pas"".
Le ""risque TeslaDuesmann admits that he monitors what Tesla does, just like her boss Herbert Diess, the CEO of the Volkswagen group. La machine géante allemande est d'ailleurs en train de subir une métamorphose, avec une déconstruction de la production par ""secteurs"" au profit d'un ensemble plus flexible, porté sur l'informatique, les nouvelles technologies et les nouvelles mobilités.
""According to all the scenarios that we have established, from the worst case to the best of cases, nothing more than the planned dismantling (of a factory) is necessary.And the competitor Tesla is always taken into account.The only thing we don't have in our plan is pandemic number 2 "".Markus Duesmann answers here a question about the risk that Tesla is gradually stepping customers in Audi in Europe with the new factory of the American manufacturer, which will see the light of day in the coming months on the Berlin side.
Un PDG bien trop occupéIn addition to being the boss of Audi, Markus Duesmann is also director of development and software director of the Volkswagen group, business manager in China, and director of supervisory board of Lamborghini and Ducati.So inevitably, its connected watch does not stop ringing. Lui-même reconnaît qu'il est ici à ses limites physiques et intellectuelles, et qu'il est obligé de ""déléguer"" et de ""faire confiance"" à d'autres. Une notion de confiance qui semble amuser le journaliste allemand, lequel pointant la culture très ""rigide"" et parfois tendue au sein du groupe VW, où la confiance n'est clairement pas le maître mot.
Duesmann assures him, he is able to work a full week, and make a large number of hours to free himself completely on weekends.Finally... presque : si Herbert Diess l'appelle, il ""répondra, évidemment"".