(Ingolstadt/BruIt is a milestone that marks a significant step towards comprehensive sustainability at Audi: The components for the production of batteries at the Audi plant in Brussels will no longer be delivered by truck from Hungary, but by rail with DB Cargo. This radically reduces Audi’s emissions of environmentally harmful CO2 and saves a lot of money. The transition of transports between Hungary and Brussels, which started in May and is expected to be completed by early 2023, is a glimpse into the future of the car manufacturer: “Brussels is taking a pioneering role, but we have developed this sustainable logistics concept for battery modules and cells for the entire Audi production network,” says Dieter Braun, Head of Supply Chain at AUDI AG – ideally, all production sites should implement this solution.
The switch to rail saves CO2 and money
The immense potential of this supply chain concept is illustrated by the project in Brussels: The battery modules and cells needed for the Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback in Belgium are currently transported by truck over the approximately 1,300-kilometer route from the supplier in Hungary. For this, twelve to 15 fully loaded vehicles travel across Europe – per day. This caravan of trucks is now being replaced by rail transport. This saves about 2,600 tons of CO2 annually. Where possible, Audi uses the DBeco plus offering from DB Cargo – currently for the sections in Austria and Germany: Here, the amount of electricity consumed is sourced exclusively from renewable sources such as wind, water, or solar energy, making the transport CO2-free. In Hungary and Belgium, Audi uses the DBeco neutral product, meaning the company compensates for the amount of electricity consumed with climate certificates. The CO2 produced during transport is thus saved elsewhere.
The significance of this approach for the Brussels plant is explained by Volker Germann, Chairman of the Board of Audi Brussels: “Our site has been CO2-neutral since 2018. Therefore, we also strive for a sustainable orientation in the supply chain and contribute to environmental protection at all levels.” Process costs are also reduced annually by a sum in the millions. The savings result not only from the switch to rail but also from optimizing the entire delivery process to the Brussels plant.
Logistics Center by DB Cargo
The supplier of the battery modules in Hungary does not have its own rail connection. DB Cargo, a long-standing project partner of AUDI AG, has recently put a Logistics Center (LC) into operation at the Győr site. Here, the weather-protected transshipment of battery modules from road to rail takes place. These are picked up by truck from the manufacturer and transported by rail to Brussels over more than 1,000 kilometers from the LC Győr. In the first step, a lightweight hall has been built in close proximity to the Audi plant in Győr, and further expansion is already planned. To meet the high quality and safety standards for battery modules and cells, the Audi Supply Chain team monitors the temperature and any shocks in the wagons using special sensors via a digital information platform.
A concept for the entire company
What Brussels is demonstrating is set to be expanded to the entire company in the foreseeable future: Components with high turnover, such as battery modules and cells, are increasingly switching to rail – by 2025, Audi aims to transport these components exclusively by train. At Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, for example, everything is already in place for the production of batteries from modules and cells delivered by rail, which will then be used in the Audi models produced on-site. New facilities and processes have been specifically installed for this purpose. Other plants are also ready to switch to rail transport for battery components. Similarly, the transport of finished products is largely done by rail: Already today, around 68 percent of Audi vehicles leave the plants in Europe by train. This share is also expected to increase further in the future.
Integration into the environmental program Mission:Zero
These goals are part of the company-wide environmental program Mission:Zero, with which Audi aims to become CO2-neutral by 2025 at all locations. In addition to the decarbonization of production and logistics, water usage, resource efficiency, and biodiversity are central areas of action for Mission:Zero.
Photo: Copyright Audi
