New Audi CEO Markus Duesmann launches Artemis Project

Two months after taking office as the new CEO at Audi, Markus Duesmann is setting up a unit for the accelerated development of additional automobile models, where the head of the 'Artemis' high-tech project would be Alex Hitzinger, a successful motorsport chief engineer and currently in charge of autonomous driving in the Group.

Resources and technologies of the entire Volkswagen Group are potentially available for this. Duesmann and his Volkswagen Group colleagues also expect the 'Artemis' project to provide a blueprint for the future agile development of cars throughout the Volkswagen Group.

The project team will be given a large degree of freedom and will work globally, from the high-tech hub of the INCampus in Ingolstadt to the west coast of the United States.

Digital services will be provided by the Group's own unit, car.Software.org, which is also based in Ingolstadt. 'Artemis' will focus on new technologies for electric, highly automated driving with a specific model reference.

Its first task is to create a highly efficient electric car that is scheduled to be on the road as early as 2024. The creative team will also develop an extensive ecosystem around the car, thus designing a new business model for the entire usage phase. Alex Hitzinger will be the head of the 'Artemis' project, reporting directly to Markus Duesmann as of 1 June 2020. Hitzinger was until now Board of Management Member for Technical Development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, as well as Senior Vice President of the Volkswagen Group with responsibility for autonomous driving.