The headquarters of AUDI AG in Ingolstadt, Bavaria is the Group’s largest production plant and the second largest car factory in Europe. Logistics is one of the most important factors contributing to the smooth running of the site; a factor that has become far more complex, and yet even more powerful as the number of models and variants has increased. Around 2,000 forklift trucks are in operation in the factory halls.
As Audi operates a three-shift working model, spare batteries are available for the countless vehicles in use at the site. To ensure that the full range of different battery types can be charged flexibly, the company has opted for the latest generation of Selectiva battery charging systems from Fronius. The car manufacturer was a partner during the development of these devices, which gave Audi the opportunity to put their own ideas and requirements on the table and incorporate them into the design process.
Thanks to the innovative Ri charging process, the Fronius devices also offer a number of additional key benefits: the energy loss during charging is lower and warming of the battery is reduced to a minimum, to name but two. The display indicates at a glance which battery has been fully charged the longest (and is therefore the coolest), helping Audi to bring down the total operating costs of the forklift truck fleet. CO2 emissions during charging have also been cut – a significant contribution to the firm’s ambitious environmental protection targets.