Audi in 2020 established the new division Artemis with the aim of accelerating the development of cars and technology, in its attempt to compete with more agile startups in the electric-vehicle race.
Artemis was due to showcase the capabilities of a new, less bureaucratic style of management with the launch of a highly efficient EV in 2024. But in a major shakeup announced last week, Artemis will now hand off further development of the EV to Audi's own development team as well as Volkswagen Group's Cariad (previously Car.Software) in-house software development company.
Artemis meanwhile will focus solely on developing methods and tools to create a basic blueprint for how software-led vehicles can be developed in the future. These methods and tools can then be used to improve the development process of cars across the VW Group. According to Audi, Artemis has already had an effect on the ongoing transformation at VW Group.
As part of the shakeup, Artemis will now work more closely with Audi's development team, and its head, Alex Hitzinger, will take on a different role to be announced at a later date.
The EV whose development was started by Artemis is now due to arrive in 2025, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said in a statement. A reason for the delay hasn't been given.
Duesmann last August said a preview of the EV will be given in 2021. It's possible we get a concept reveal during the inaugural international mobility show taking place in September in Munich, Germany.
The EV is rumored to be a technological flagship that may just adopt the A9 E-Tron name. It will likely ride on a version of VW Group's PPE modular EV platform and feature a high level of self-driving capability.
Related vehicles are expected to be launched at fellow VW Group brands Porsche at Bentley about the same time as the Audi's arrival. Stay tuned.
