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Not satisfied with all its Earth-based customers, the German company is sponsoring the construction of a robotic rover (two have actually been built) which will, next year, be launched to the Moon to explore one of the famed Apollo Moon landing sites.
The programme is part of a Berlin-based effort to snag the USD$30-million XPrize for privately funded space exploration. The prize stipulates that, in 2017, a private team must be able to launch a rover to the Moon, land it, have it drive for at least 500-metres and send back high-definition photos from the Lunar surface.
German space travel team 'Part Time Scientists' have taken up the challenge with Audi's help and are now looking for a suitable privately-built rocket booster (most likely from Elon Musk's SpaceX or Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin) which will transport its ALINA landing craft to the Moon.
Thirty teams originally signed up for the challenge, and now only five remain. Part Time Scientists will begin testing and simulating their mission outline and their newly-built rovers in the Middle East before launch plans are finalised.
Sixteen Audi engineers have been working on the rovers' all-wheel-drive power distribution, optimising its high-performance electronics; reducing their overall weight from 38 to 30 kilograms using intelligent material mixes and 3D-printed aluminium; and contributing their expertise in autonomous driving. These components were stress tested in the 'Audi sun simulation chamber', where the Moon's extreme conditions were simulated.
"We are proud that we have given the Moon rover important aspects of the four rings' DNA: It is a quattro, has an e-tron battery on board, drives in piloted mode and offers an intelligent mix of materials," remarked Michael Schöffmann, Head of Audi Transmission Development and Development Coordinator of the Audi lunar quattro.
"The collaboration with the Part-Time scientists is also very enriching for us: We are breaking new technological ground with the Audi lunar quattro and can learn much about how automotive components behave in extreme conditions."