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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #323 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #323 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #323
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Audi CEO says brand's EVs are almost as profitable as its other cars

After, oh, a hundred years or so of building vehicles primarily powered by internal combustion engines, automakers around the world have been and still are pumping billions of dollars into the development of electric vehicle technology. Everything from platforms and batteries to motors and the software to control it all requires untold hours of development, and that takes time and money. Fortunately, it's not going to take long for that massive investment to start paying off, at least according to Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who told Reuters in an interview that "The point where we earn as much money with electric cars as with combustion engine cars is now, or ... next year, 2023. They are very even now, the prices." As a brand, Audi contributed more than a quarter of overall profit for the massive Volkswagen Group, which has such powerhouse brands as Volkswagen and Porsche among others. Under the Audi umbrella are Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati, and it seems those high-end branches aren't going anywhere, at least for now. "These brands ... are very valuable very profitable brands, where we can even expand the synergy level in the future," Duesmann said in the interview. "There are no plans whatsoever to get rid of them." Despite the overall profitability of the brand, the ongoing global chip crisis is causing headaches. "We had a very strong first half in 2021. We do expect a much weaker second half," said Duesmann, who added, "We really have trouble." In fact, so serious is the trouble that the brand is forced into "a day-to-day troubleshooting process" to limit the chip-shortage damage. The good news for the automaker is that Audi has been able to boost its profit margin from 8% prior to the pandemic in 2019 to 10.7% in the first half of 2021. The bad news is that various chip shortages aren't expected to get a whole lot better over the rest of the year. Related video:

Lamborghini plans to reduce carbon emissions by 40% per car

Lamborghini has revealed its latest roadmap to a greener future, and it has a "new ambitious target": Reduce "enterprise emissions" by 40% per car by 2030. That's carbon emissions from across the entire value chain — the SantÂ’Agata Bolognese production plant, the cars, everything. Lamborghini laid out its Direzione Cor Tauri strategy, which displays the companyÂ’s commitment to achieving total carbon neutrality. The strategy started in 2023 with the release of Revuelto hybrid. In 2024, the company plans to launch a hybrid version of the Urus Super SUV and a second HPEV (high performance electric vehicle) that will replace the Huracan. By 2025, Lamborghini states, the carbon emissions of the actual vehicle fleet itself will be lowered by 50%.  Lamborghini also plans to launch its first full-electric model, Lanzador, in 2028 and then a year later will launch a full-electric super SUV. These new cars will help reduce fleet emissions by 80% by 2030. “The electric motor opens up new horizons in terms of dynamics and driving experience. It is the dawn of a new era for super sports cars, in which we are redefining the concept of sportiness, enjoyment and driving dynamics in sustainable terms. Our DNA will always be based on the concept of emotional performance,” said Rouven Mohr, chief technical officer. Stephan Winkelmann, chairman and CEO, said: “Direzione Cor Tauri is our roadmap to electrification of the Lamborghini range and the path to decarbonization, not only of our SantÂ’Agata Bolognese facility, but of the entire value chain: it is a holistic approach to our global environmental sustainability strategy. Within a context of major transformation, everyone needs to contribute to achieving the objectives: this commitment extends not just to every individual and every company, but also to institutions and governments responsible for infrastructures and the transition toward renewables. Our mission, as a globally recognized brand, is to inspire and encourage others to tackle these modern-day challenges. Automobili Lamborghini is proof that a sustainable vision is possible.” Lamborghini started its strategic plan for carbon neutrality in 2015 by making changes across the company. The chief manufacturing office stated the luxury brand sports car company made sure any new buildings had high-energy efficiency certifications, minimized the use of water in the paint shop and helped reduce energy consumption per vehicle by 36% in 2022.