Audi and the Future of Car Tech

A few days ago I wrote about Daimler becoming the most recent car company to compete with Uber and other self-driving tech players in the automobile industry. Once again, the competition strengthens as Audi announces today their plans to invest heavily in autonomous technology.

[CEO Rupert] Stadler said that in addition to targeting up to 30 percent electric vehicle sales for Audi overall by 2025, the company is going to create a subsidiary devoted to developing autonomous driving tech called SDS Company.

As for its driverless ambitions, Stadler tells the paper that “this is about a robot car that may not even need a steering wheel or pedals, so it’s ideal for urban traffic,” but adds that Audi is still looking for its dance partner when it comes to developing the necessary tech. We’ve seen a lot of car companies pairing up with carriers, software-makers and other tech-specialists in developing their advanced car roadmap, and Audi seems to want to lean on someone with more expertise, too.

While companies like Daimler and Volkswagen are focusing their efforts on car-sharing services, Audi’s approach may pay off for them in the long term. Uber and Lyft are benefitting from a revolutionary new idea, but self-driving cars are the future of the car industry. If Audi can be at the forefront of this system-wide revolution, they will have a strong strategic position.