What is Audi Mission Zero?
We have seen the exponential growth of electrification across the automotive industry in the last decade, specifically over the last five years. Multiple new electric vehicles, including three distinct models at Audi, the Audi e-tron, Audi e-tron GT, and Audi Q4 e-tron have been introduced and provide consumers with enhanced performance, impressive features and refinement, and the umbrella benefit of zero emissions on the road.
However, automakers, particularly Audi, understand that creating sustainable and environmentally friendly automotive solutions goes beyond the simple vehicle being sold in dealerships. For electric vehicles to truly impact the environment moving forward, automakers must revise their entire chain of production from gathering resources used in the production of vehicles to how the factories that produce these vehicles operate.
This is the heart and soul of the Audi Mission Zero environmental program which was announced in 2020.
The Audi Mission Zero is a program on paper, but it is ultimately a philosophy that guides all of the operations within the Audi ecosystem with the stated objective of achieving company-wide net carbon neutrality by 2050 and net carbon neutrality for all Audi production sites by 2025. The Audi Mission Zero program aims to reduce the ecological footprint of all activities related to conceiving, creating, sourcing, and producing the products and, ultimately, the vehicles Audi sells to consumers.
The Audi Mission Zero program focuses on four distinct areas: decarbonization, water usage, resource efficiency, and biodiversity. The program follows the sustainable development goals laid out by the United Nations and the environmental mission statement of the Volkswagen Auto Group.
Decarbonization
The Audi Mission Zero program aims to render all Audi sites carbon neutral by 2025. Many Audi production sites have already achieved this objective, including Audi Hungary, which became carbon neutral in 2020 and Audi Brussels in 2018.
Water usage
Many people do not know that there is considerable water usage in the production cycle of a vehicle, particularly electric vehicles. Audi estimates put the consumption at 2.5 to 5 m³ of water needed to produce one electric vehicle. The Audi Mission Zero program aims to develop closed-water cycles and ensure wastewater-free production sites. The plan aims to develop water treatment centres and a clear process dictating water use across all production sites. Audi sites are also looking to reduce their groundwater consumption. A rainwater reservoir holding 234,000 m³ at the Audi site in San José Chiapa built in 2014, allowed a significant 25% reduction in groundwater usage. Such initiatives are being built into the Audi production cycle across the world.
Resource efficiency
The Audi Mission Zero statement and program aim to ensure the efficient use of resources throughout the entire production cycle. From the raw materials used in building batteries and body panels to the interior trims inside Audi vehicles, every element that goes into the final vehicle is designed with an efficient use of resources in mind. This is true of the resources used across the production cycle and in Audi production sites as well. The goal is to reduce waste and provide sustainable resource sourcing for decades.
Biodiversity
Every Audi site, whether current or in the pipeline, will feature projects aimed at protecting and preserving the biological diversity where they are being built. Audi will ensure the respect of the environment in which it is creating its sites or where it currently operates its facilities.
Many components go into a large-scale program aimed at being deployed on a global scale, like the Audi Mission Zero program. Audi also works with suppliers and defines various procedures and strategies to reduce greenhouse gases across its entire chain.
The implementation of the Audi Mission Zero program means that when you buy an Audi vehicle, you are not just buying an efficient and eco-friendly electric or gas-powered vehicle; you are buying a vehicle that has contributed to making the world a greener and cleaner place from the moment the raw materials were sourced to build it.
Give us a call today to learn more about the impressive Audi electric vehicle lineup or to learn more about what Audi is doing for the environment.
