The future is created through research – Volkswagen Group Research is designing tomorrow’s world
- Volkswagen Group Research is a visionary, trend scout and technology driver
- Global innovation network, intensive cooperation with the brands in the Group
-
"Innovations safeguard the future of our company and they are the focus
of our
attention," commented Head of Research Axel Heinrich
The Volkswagen Group is taking a proactive approach to designing the mobile world
of tomorrow through Group Research. Volkswagen Research is a visionary, innovation
scout and strategic partner for all the brands in the Group - with an enormous
bandwidth of topics and projects about potential mobility scenarios for the
megacities of the world, autonomous driving concepts like Sedric, new drive
technologies, and new materials and product technologies. The engineers and
scientists in Wolfsburg give a small snapshot of their otherwise strictly
confidential topics at the Media Day for the Future Mobility Days 2017.
Research has never been as important before as it is today. In a world where change
is
taking place with increasing rapidity, new technologies are impacting on lifestyles
at
breakneck speed and customer aspirations are being modified, any company needs
to
identify these trends at an early stage and adopt a proactive approach to
structuring its own developments and offerings. Particularly when a manufacturer is
operating with benchmarks on the global stage, a distinction needs to be drawn
between trends and fashions. A company also needs to be in a position to assess the
importance and significance of topics in different countries. Only then can it take
the right decisions - and they also need to be implemented within the framework of
the appropriate timing. Being first mover is not always the key factor. But being
prepared for every situation is important. "Research is a core function for success
and for the long-term existence of a technology company. The Volkswagen Group takes
this function very seriously," said Axel Heinrich, Head of Volkswagen Group
Research. "Volkswagen is a highly innovative company and this will continue to
remain the case in the future - particularly in times when change is rapidly
gathering pace."
Ideas Network
The centre of Group Research is located in Wolfsburg. However, research is
also
established on a global scale in the same way as the entire Group - with locations,
research laboratories and subsidiaries in Germany and Europe, as well as the USA,
in China, in Spain and in Japan. International trend and technology scouting is
also part of the mission, along with addressing topics related to specific regions.
The second level in the network of Volkswagen Group Research is formed by
numerous cooperative ventures with teaching and research institutions all
around the world. Prestigious universities in the USA and China, including Stanford
and Tongji, are also integrated in projects, as are the Fraunhofer Society, the
German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Max-Planck Institutes.
Consistent Cooperation with the Brands
"Cooperation and collaboration are core concepts for Volkswagen Research. This is
not
simply the case with external partners, but most importantly also with the 14
brands of the Group," according to Head of Research Heinrich. Group Research is
undoubtedly a visionary, trend scout, ideas generator and incubator, but most
importantly it is a driver for innovations. This role is always carried out in
cooperation with other technical development areas - whether it is manifested as a
cooperative project or as a mission for one or several brands of the Group. This
applies to commercial vehicles like MAN or Scania and for automobile brands like
Audi or Volkswagen.
Many projects start with the proverbial blank sheet of paper, even though this
generally
equates to a blank screen in the modern world. Each project goes through a number
of
phases. Of course, the initial phase is scouting: What is the topic leading to?
What is there relating to this topic elsewhere in the world? And what do we need in
order to achieve our strategic targets? Stage two relates to research development:
What paths will take us further? What technologies, devices, competences do we need
to develop? Feasibility of implementation is phase three: Can the project be
implemented for commercial use? What are the chances of success, where are
difficulties and problems to be found? Stage four is finally the transfer, either
to series development in one or several brands, or to a unit which will look after
the issue for the entire Group.
One example is autonomous driving. Volkswagen has a great deal of experience in
this field. After all, the Group ranks among the pioneers in this area. As early as
2005, a team from Group Research was working together with a group of early-career
specialists at Stanford University to upgrade a Volkswagen Touareg to the
autonomous vehicle "Stanley" - and this vehicle went on to win the Grand Challenge
for Robot Automobiles in the American dessert. An autonomous Volkswagen Passat
known as "Junior" was the second fastest car at the Urban Challenge in 2007. Since
then, knowledge and experience have been consistently gathered - and finally melded
into the Sedric research vehicle that was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in
2017. Group Research is continuing to work on many individual projects related to
autonomous driving. Group-wide management in this area has now been assumed by Audi
Intelligent Driving GmbH in Munich. This is a newly established company of AUDI
AG.
Future is generated by Knowledge
The breadth of the projects being carried out by Volkswagen Group Research can
easily be identified on the basis of its structure. Future Research forms its own
division. Technology Intelligence is assisted here by digital support in
carrying out investigations into systematic patterns in technology landscapes and
areas of competence. Corporate Foresight strengthens the future capability of the
Group through the transfer of future knowledge into strategic areas and processes.
Future Communications is responsible for the presentation and communication of
future themes within research and the Group. Core functions of mobility research
relate to analysis, documentation and transfer of comprehensive knowledge about
developments in the mobility and transport system for future structuring of
mobility.
Megatrend Urbanisation
One example of a universal trend across the world is increasing urbanisation. A
burgeoning number of people live in cities. This means that urban areas are
becoming more of a bottleneck, and this is particularly the case for traffic.
Solutions need to be found here as a matter of urgency so we can make mobility
within cities more efficient, safer and more environment friendly. Volkswagen Group
Research has highlighted its vision of future urban mobility with a meaningful
visualisation of many mutually complementary potential solutions.
This scenario includes networked means of transport and well-informed road
users.
Autonomous driving and high utilisation of transport capacities increase
efficiency. Synergies between transport and logistics help to cut down the number
of journeys. These and other initiatives result overall in significantly improved
traffic conditions compared with today. This yields advantages for road users and
better quality of life for all the people living in cities.
Integrated Drive Strategy of the Group
The roadmap to carbon-neutral and sustainable mobility is the focus of the drive
and fuel strategy. A key factor is efficiency enhancement of all drives with
each new model
generation. The portfolio comprising a range of different drives will increase
significantly in the future, whether in the form of SI engines as diesel and petrol
power units, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles powered by battery or
fuel cells. Volkswagen is a company with global operations. Co-existence between
"conventional" drives and electromobility is therefore the correct pathway so that
the Group is always in the right position to offer the best solution for diverse
customer aspirations in different parts of the world.
SI engines will continue to retain pivotal importance for the foreseeable future. A
series of projects being carried out by Group Research demonstrate the enormous
potential for
improving efficiency that can be achieved over the coming years. However, vehicles
powered by natural gas will also play an important role. Due to the chemical
properties of the fuel, they intrinsically emit up to 25 percent less CO2 than
petrol engines. These vehicles therefore occupy a fixed place in the drive strategy
and in the projects being pursued by Group Research.
Electric automobiles powered by battery will naturally be the focal point for the
coming years, but many new ideas are also being explored in the area of hybrid
drives. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids combine the best of both worlds. Plug-in
hybrids are highly efficient SI engines with an electric range of around 50
kilometres. Volkswagen has some great opportunities with this combination of drive
concepts. Customers in all vehicle classes can be offered electrification with
equal capability for long-distance and local journeys. Confidence can be created in
the new technology and this will help to achieve a breakthrough into the new
technology and electromobility. The fuel cell will become an important topic for
electromobility over the medium term and Volkswagen Research is working intensively
on this issue.
The Safe Route to Autonomous Driving
The autonomous fully self-driving automobile belongs to the future. However, this
future will not come overnight but will be developed step by step. Many of the
latest driver assistance systems constitute essential steps towards enhanced safety
on the roads. Very soon, the first series cars like the future Audi A8 will be
driving down the motorway without any intervention on the part of the driver. The
era of the fully autonomous vehicle will begin in some of the world's metropolises
within just a few years - probably in lanes and routes specially reserved for these
vehicles.
Autonomous driving naturally ranks among the key themes for Group Research.
Volkswagen was the first automobile manufacturer to present Sedric as the concept
for an autonomous mobility system. But goods and cargos will also be transported by
autonomous vehicles in the future. The utility vehicle brands in the Group - MAN,
Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles - will also benefit from advances in this
field and they too have launched their own projects.
The employees in Group Research are working towards a clear goal here - Vision Zero
- the vision of accident-free driving, mobility without any traffic deaths.
Consistently equipping vehicles with safety systems already available today and
gradual introduction of automated driving will consistently reduce the number of
accidents and their severity. Vision Zero is not a utopia. Volkswagen Research is
absolutely confident of this.
Virtualisation and Digitalisation as Innovation Driver
Naturally, Group Research is engaging intensively with all the topics associated
with virtualisation and digitalisation. Progress is also being made here in
increasingly large strides. Concepts like Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning
and Big Data Cluster are pointing towards opportunities in future development and
production of the automobile. Volkswagen Group Research is also working proactively
in the disciplines of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Current trends are
being evaluated in the framework of the research area of Virtual Technologies and
innovations are being initiated in this field. New methods and applications are
also being researched and developed. They will be deployed in the specialist areas
of development and production, as well as in service and customer service.
Innovation with Substances and Materials
In spite of all the rapid developments in electronics and software - the foundation
of the vehicles and automotive manufacture continues to reside in the substances
and materials. And there is more to this equation. The haptic and visual
properties of the materials used communicate the product experience and
determine the interpretation of brand quality in the Volkswagen Group.
Research looks for the best possible material to meet each
customer aspiration, each Group segment, each vehicle concept and each
component - always with a view to innovative solutions.
Completely new materials are being tested over the entire bandwidth of
mechanical,
chemical and electrical properties - thanks to simulations techniques with an
in-depth
understanding of material behaviour down to the atomic level. Group Research also
uses this know-how for flexible and efficient production processes. Innovative
joining technologies give the Group new options in the material mix and with
forming processes. The result is tailormade.
Responsibility for the Environment begins in Research
A dedicated area of Group Research is engaging with the effects and interactions
between the automobile and the surrounding environment. This constitutes part of
the Group's awareness of responsibility and extends well beyond the basic operation
of the automobile. In fact, the conscientious approach starts with the raw
materials for automotive production, continues through research activities relating
to resource-efficient and low-emission production so as to reduce the environmental
impacts of a factory as much as possible, and ends with all aspects of vehicle
recycling and waste recovery. The operation of a factory can also be optimised with
defined environmental factors. Selection of the correct materials improves the
life-cycle assessment of an automobile as a function of its service life. Today,
research already has to be carried out into the recovery cycle of future drive
batteries. A lot of open questions need to be answered here and not just about
digital models and simulations. One example is can the climate targets defined by
politicians actually be achieved? What impacts do new transport solutions and
mobility concepts have on our roads and the environment? Environmental research
provides answers to these questions.
Future Mobility Days
Presentation of the Group's future portfolio has a fixed place in the annual
schedule of
Volkswagen Group Research. Several thousand internal experts from the global
Volkswagen World are given a concentrated overview of innovations at this high-tech
event held at the Ehra-Lessien Test Track located north of Wolfsburg. This year,
the Future Mobility Days are themed under the motto "Electrified", "Eco" and
"Experience".