Audi starts production of new A5 at Neckarsulm

Audi has kickstarted production of the new A5 at its plant in Neckarsulm, Germany.

Commencement of production of the car is said to follow the largest start-up phase in the plant's history, as the car is being built atop the firm's new PPC platform (short for Premium Platform Combustion). The site's workforce is said to have acquired new qualifications for the new systems and production technologies that come along with production on the new platform, allowing the production infrastructure at Neckarsulm to be described as future-proof.

Audi aims to have all models produced at the Neckarsulm site to be net carbon-neutral from 2025, a feat that will see Audi raising the efficiency, use of automation, and incorporating more innovative technologies into its production line.

The site is already set to receive a renovated paint shop by 2025 which will allow the use of a new painting process that can save up to 140kWh of energy per vehicle. The site also currently makes use of cathodic dip painting, which sees vehicle bodies dipped and rotated to better resist corrosion. This process now also makes use of a transverse drying process that sees air being blown through the drying area, with the car body heated. This process is not only more energy efficient but is also said to be better suited to electric and hybrid vehicles.