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August Horch- The German automobile pioneer behind the strong foundation of Audi

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Presently, Audi is the name counted in some of the oldest automobile firms in Germany. The logo showing four rings shows the integration of four car firms. These all firms set up the foundation of today’s Audi. However, to set up the Audi one personality is most important that is August Horch. He built the first car and started the revolutionary era of the car industry in Germany. As well, he is the most important person behind exploring the business globally. Today, Audi is a big name in the car industry.  Surely, August Horch made it possible with his immense efforts and extraordinary vision.

About Founder

Audi is one of the popular names in the vehicle industry. One will amaze to know that it set up by a blacksmith. Yes, the founder of Audi, A. Horch’s first trade was as a blacksmith. Thereafter, he studied engineering and set up a revolutionary Automobile firm Audi. He is one of the well-reputed German engineers and pioneers in this industry.

August Horch
Image Source: motor1.com

His contribution to this field is noticeable and inspirational for many entrepreneurs. Due to his work, his native place Winningen has a street named for his Audi cars. Let’s see the life journey of A. Horch.

Early life

He was born on 12 Oct 1868 in Winningen, Prussia. Horch attended Mittweida Technical College for studying engineering. Before that, he was in the business of Blacksmith. After completing the education, he started working in the shipbuilding sector. However, he got the chance to learn about automobiles during his job at Karl Benz. August worked there for about three years and learned all skills required to build any car. In 1899, he set up the firm A. Horch & Co. In Germany. So that he can design the cars as per his ideas.

Building the base of the firm

In 1901, August built the first Horch Automobile firm. After that, he shifted the firm in Reichenbach and later on to Zwickau. But in 1909 he had to leave the firm due to some disputes and clashes among partners. However, he decided to start a new firm to compete in Zwickau’s car market.

He wanted to set the second firm’s name as Horch. But he had already used this name for his first one. Thus, due to the trademark issue, he selected Hark. Later on, it became Audi.

Role of A. Horch to make Audi as an international brand

He not only build the foundation of the firm but also worked to explore its business. August’s extraordinary policies and the visionary helped to popularize it in the global market. During those days, he was involved in the Austrian Alpine Runs(AAR). This network helped the firm to rise as an international brand.

Later life

In 1920, August withdrew from the firm and went to Berlin. Since then he decided to work as an automotive expert and to helped the rising car firms. Unknowingly he inspired so many entrepreneurs with his autobiography, I built Cars.

As well, he worked as one of the board members of the Auto Union. Horch was also the Braunschweig University of Technology’s professor in his last days. A. Horch rests in peace on 3rd February 1951.

The up-downs in the business of Audi

Not all businesses grow steadily. Most of them faced several up-downs throughout the evolution of the firm. The same happened in the case of Audi. After August withdrew from the business everything was ok for some time.

However,  the company’s market declined rapidly which remained about 0.1% till 1938. In fact, the name of Audi completely disappeared for more than two decades. Fortunately, the firm again managed to come back to the market and overcome the obstacles.

Later success of the firm

In the long history of Audi, it gave birth to many unique designs, best performances, and unique features. The firm witnessed all technology evolutions.

As well, it successfully adapted all the changes and design the new models as per the demand of the era. Yet, it never compromised the quality. Audi is based on the strong foundation and core values, which helped it to rise impeccably. Today, Audi is a big name in the car industry.  No doubt,  Horch made it possible with his efforts and extraordinary vision.

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Audi Established New Office In Silicon Valley For the Development of Driver Assistance Systems

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One of the most significant talking points in transportation for a while now has been driverless cars. However, most of the innovation has been led by fringe groups and research-based companies. There haven’t been a lot of auto-industry giants who have ventured into this field. All of that is about to change as Audi takes a dip into the area of driver assistance. Reports state that the auto-giant is setting up a new office in the heart of innovation, Silicon Valley, to aid with the development of driver assistance systems. Here’s a look at what impact the move will have on the industry, and why it is crucial.

New Office

The company has made it known that it will set up a new office called Audi Automated Driving Development Research & Development Block in San Jose. The facility will have around 60 employees, initially, and then expand again in the future. The A2D2 Block will be flexible and agile and will work towards developing new software by collaborating with startups nearby. It will focus on building production-intent applications that will help with creating smart-systems in cars.

Levels of Automation

This new research-intended office will focus on developing and advancing Level 2 systems. As per the Society of Automobile Engineers’ guidelines, Level 2 Systems are those in which at least two primary functions are automated. However, such systems still require a human driver to be present at all times to work efficiently. As per SAE standards, there are five levels of automation. At Level 4, the systems should handle all the duties, responsibilities, and functions that come with driving a car under specific conditions. At this point, it should be able to drive itself without human intervention. Stage 5 is often seen as a distant goal that the entire community is working towards and still requires a lot of research. In this last sage, cars will be able to handle all sorts of driving conditions and environments without the need of a human driver. Companies such as Aurora, Argo AI, Waymo, and Cruise are all working towards achieving Level 4 systems.

Audi’s Decision

Interestingly, Audi is focusing on creating and developing Level 2 systems, as this sets it apart from the others. In the past, the auto-giant had plans to come out with a Level 3 system, named the Traffic Jam Pilot. This application should have come out with the newest A8, that initially came out in 2017. However, the company ran into several production delays, and in May, finally decided to scrap the project. Therefore, it did not update the newest-version of the A8 with a Level 3 system. In theory, the Traffic Jam Pilot would have been able to operate on its own. While it has a human inside it, the Car would not require the driver to have his or her eyes on the road at all times. Such a system has never been practically tested on a large scale or commercially deployed.

Issues Faced By The Company

Audi had issued statements earlier this year to clarify why they were scrapping plans fr their automated system. One of the biggest concerns that they had was the large number of legal issues that could arise from their system. The legal framework regarding driverless cars is very tricky, and hence the company could have run into liability claims and other issues. Furthermore, their A8 was running through its life cycle. Therefore, the company was already pouring money into development to install and create new features. 

Hopes for America

However, the company has now turned its attention towards advancing driver assistance systems through Level 2 Systems. Audi stated that their A2D2 office would be the first to work solely on developing ADAS software and hardware for North American conditions. As North America is working hard on the advancement of such technologies, the company thought it best to set up shop here and be a part of the breakthroughs. They also get to work with leading technology startups focusing in this field and therefore attract the best talent.

This new office will help develop sensors and other systems that can improve the overall driving experience and safety. The office has also fixed sensors on the Audi Q7’s roof to collect data for their ADAS software. The system plans to drop by around 2023 to help make their cars safer and more efficient. All of their test vehicles are wrapped in QR codes, which lead to a page on automated driver assistance technologies. Furthermore, they are teaming up with a Volkswagen Group outfit named Car. Software, to build ADAS software. It will be interesting to see how far this partnership takes the future of automated driver systems.