Audi USA Tests Shared Fleet Service in North Carolina

Ahead of its plans to start a corporate car-sharing service in 2017, Audi is running public tests of its mobility service in Durham, North Carolina. The move is an early step into mobility market that the Volkswagen Group is pursuing.

Durham is home to American Underground, a technology incubator run out of the former American Tobacco Co. complex, and as such is the perfect place to test the car sharing service, says Audi.

“Piloting the service here gives us the necessary affirmation as we launch this new service nationally next year,” says Thiemo Rusch, senior director, vehicle sales and operation at Audi of America.

The service will start with three fully accessorized, Audi A4s that American Underground entrepreneurs can unlock with an app on their phone. Once unlocked, they will find the key inside, and can use the A4 to get them where they need to go.

The cars are being housed at American Underground’s 115,000 square-foot campus, which houses more than 200 companies.

“In our urban ecosystem, this program will alleviate two major pain points for our entrepreneurs: a need for easy, face-to-face collaboration across all points of the Research Triangle and a desire to utilize public transportation in their commute to avoid parking restraints,” says Adam Klein, chief strategist, American Underground. “The fact that our entrepreneurs can now accomplish these needs in the style and performance of an Audi is a very pleasant bonus.”

The test is a precursor to the roll out of Audi’s corporate car-sharing service, set to debut next year. The service is part of Audi and the wider Volkswagen Group’s plan to become a major mobility provider.

You can expect more future services in this vein, like Audi on demand, Audi at home, and a thirteenth brand dedicated to mobility following the Volkswagen Group’s partnership with Israel’s Gett, a ride sharing app like Uber that’s popular in Europe.

This story first appeared on fourtitude.com

The post Audi USA Tests Shared Fleet Service in North Carolina appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2eSnZ04
via IFTTT

Comments

You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , Diesel VW's lawyers have naturally put in a clause that will prevent anyone from buying a known dirty TDI from getting the full buyout amount from the OEM. Continue reading You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout You can't scam VW by buying a dirty diesel now and still get full payout originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/297SxtR

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster Review

“Supercars just don’t excite me anymore.” These words, spoken to me over a month ago by another journalist, friend, and (so-called) enthusiast were echoing in my head for far too long, but they’ve finally been drowned out. Drowned out by the wail of a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine mounted in the middle of the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster. My friend’s point is that back in the good old days, there was a crop of supercars that captured the imagination with amazing style, sounds, performance, and more. Today, it seems like everything is capable of supercar performance, with large luxury sedans outdoing some of the best and most dedicated teams of car nuts, while former pillars of automotive excellence are suddenly pumping out family-friendly SUVs. Beyond that, another league of supercars, dubbed hypercars have cropped up with hybrid gas-electric powertrains that make magical things happen quickly, but at the cost of the acoustic drama, visual flair, and engag...

PZM 73rd Rally Poland Kicks Off

The WRC is in Poland and after only one stage there are three Volkswagens in the top five. Today’s special stage at the Mikolajki Arena is the first stage, but the rally doesn’t begin in earnest until Friday. Today’s super special stage was less than two minutes long, and less than a second separates the top five drivers. Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry Neuville tops the charts today, followed closely by Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen. Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala are in fourth and fifth, respectively. Expect Ogier to climb the rankings, though. Not only did he win the rally last year, he has won every year since 2013. And with rain expected on Friday, Ogier’s chances are even better. “If it’s a bit wet then I hope I can make some good times,” said Ogier earlier today. “The best would be some good rain during the night so it’s a damp surface and then not too bad weather during the day so specators can enjoy the show without being too wet.” If it is dry, though, speed is on ...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog