New A4 e-tron with Enhanced Demand Features
Audi is speculated to be including on-demand characteristics in their upcoming A4 series, according to Autocar. This purported provision of services might give customers increased convenience and improved driving experiences.
According to Oliver Hoffman, the Head of Technical Development at Audi, the company is striving to give customers the ability to add features as they wish. “Our next electronic architecture will bring more ‘function on demand’ options and we anticipate that new functions will be added to cars year by year,” Hoffman declared.
Reactions to the concept of automotive subscriptions have been, for the most part, far from positive. Despite this, a few car makers have investigated the idea and even gone so far as to implement it in certain regions. Though it may be a great way to increase profits for manufacturers, Hoffman is adamant that Audi is merely responding to customer demand. “We had the thought to make more money from digitalization services than selling cars a few years back,” he commented.
Audi provides subscription features on certain models. In accordance with the corporation’s public website, the A3 and S3 for 2022 – 2023 can be configured with a sophisticated navigation bundle at a cost of $80 per month or a yearly cost of $800. Moreover, customers may opt for Ur-demand access to Navigation along with Audi connect Plus for a monthly fee of $85 or an annual rate of $850, however, this option is merely available for the 2021 – 2023 A4, A5, and Q5.
It is yet to be determined what features will be included in the upcoming all-electric Audi A4, but Hoffman commented that this is a major development for the company. “I think customers are asking for new features to be added to their cars, and this is a great opportunity for us to make money – but these types of functions don’t always bring in the same revenue.”
This is a fascinating move made by Audi, especially as competitor BMW has decided to forgo any hardware-dependent proposals related to subscription. At the time, BMW attributed their conclusion to inadequate user insight; however, would people actually choose to pay for features such as heated seating on high-end vehicles?
Despite this recent setback, Audi’s Technical Development head is still confident that “function on demand will be quite normal in the future.” However, whether this endeavor will be successful for Audi remains to be seen, and experience – combined with customer trepidation – suggests that it may not be.
This has been reported to be activated in the latest designs, such as the all-electric A4 e-tron. Allegedly set to launch by the end of next year, the EV is constructed using the Premium Platform Electric platform and promises up to 510 horsepower when outfitted with the S4 package.
