Does Audi Need to Scrap its Wheel Design Process?

The wheels of any vehicle are finishing touches. Audi has a new wheel design process utilizing AI technology. Unfortunately, there’s something wrong.

Computer-generated designs of anything can be spit out much faster than any human could produce. Recently, Audi employed an AI system to design wheels, which has provided several designs, but there are some problems with these new wheels. Many of them came out and don’t look like anything that could be actually used in the real world. This is a bit of a problem and might simply make the wheel design process much slower.

There’s a Structural Need to Excellent Wheel Design

The days of hubcaps and wheel covers are over. Consumers expect wheels that show off some of the style and design of the car they drive, especially if the brand of that vehicle is a luxury name like Audi. The new AI system used by Audi spit out tons of wheel designs, but many of them lack the potential structural integrity to be build. This means either Audi needs to change the process, improve the parameters, or scrap the idea of using computer-aided designs for this part of the cars they build.

The AI System Could be Guilty of Copying Designs

Not only were there several wheels that couldn’t be built because of a lack of structural integrity, the AI system designed some wheels that are nearly exact copies of other wheels that we’ve seen before. To be perfectly fair, there is a limit to how much style and design can go into this part of any vehicle. Of course, if the AI system isn’t being limited by structural integrity, there’s not really any limit to what it could produce. It shouldn’t come as a shock that some of the wheels designed look like previous models.

What Does this Mean for the Future of AI Tech?

The idea behind using AI technology in the wheel design process isn’t to generate actual wheel designs but to act as part o the process to inspire the Audi team. The brand has no intention of leaving the entire design process to the computers, but that could be part of the future. The fact that this AI system came up with so many wheel designs that are both copies of what we already see and nonfunctional means we’re still in the infancy of using AI technology in the automaking process.

Audi Pushes Further into the Electric Vehicle World

The next pair of Audi electric vehicles has begun production in Brussels. The next two models coming from Audi are the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. This factory in Belgium is the same place where the first production EV from Audi has been made. Since 2018, they have produced nearly 160,000 Audi e-tron SUV models. This is also where the e-tron and e-tron Sportback vehicles were made in 2021. All of these are the predecessors to the new Q8 models heading our way.

Another New EV from Audi Next Year

Along with these new Q8 models, the Brussels plant will begin to produce the Audi Q4 e-tron in the second half of 2023. They will make 70 models of this new electric crossover per day in an effort to meet the increased demand of electric vehicles in the market. Currently, the Q4 e-tron is made at the Volkswagen Group plant in Zwickau, Germany. Waiting until the second half of next year allows Audi to ramp up production of the two Q8 models which are using the same assembly lines that were used for the e-tron and e-tron Sportback previously.

The Audi Plant in Brussels is a Green Factory

Although the use of AI technology in the wheel design process has failed, for now, the Audi plant in Brussels is an amazing place. This factory is the model for sustainability and the future of production. It has been recognized as the first certified carbon-neutral high-volume production plant in the premium segment since it began building the Audi e-tron in 2018.

This plant has been powered by green electricity since 2012 using one of the largest photovoltaic systems in the region. This system covers 107,000 square meters to generate 9,000 megawatt-hours of power from sustainable energy sources every year. This is enough power to charge 90,000 Audi Q8 e-tron vehicles and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Audi Requires Batteries Produced Using Renewable Energy

Audi has studied every aspect of the EV production process, including delivery of items from one factory to the next. Not only are the batteries produced using renewable energy sources, but they are transported from Gyor, Hungary to Brussels via green freight trains. This is another way Audi reduces the carbon emissions of its vehicle production process.

The batteries included in both of the Audi Q8 e-tron models come from Samsun SDI. These batteries replace the outgoing LG models found in the original e-tron models. While we don’t have the EPA driving range ratings yet, for these two electric SUVs to be effective, the driving range will need to exceed 300 miles. The new Q8 e-tron models are expected to reach US dealerships in the middle of 2023.

Small Failures Lead to Great Successes for Audi

We don’t always know about the blunders and shortcomings found in the design process, but this time we do. The AI system Audi used in the wheel design process needs to be improved and upgraded to offer structural parameters and avoid copying other wheel designs. While those in charge of creating the right wheels work on that, we can admire the new Q8 models that will be available soon.

The next all-electric Audi SUVs are the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback which should take their rightful places near the top of the list. These two electric SUVs could be the largest models offered by Audi, at least until the Q7 model switches to the EV platform.

There’s a lot happening at Audi. From a green factory building the new EVs to computer-generated wheel designs that aren’t quite there, Audi is bringing us more of what we want to push driving and design elements forward.