Audi prances past pandemic, delivers 16.90 lakh units worldwide in FY 2020
Audi beat Covid-19 pandemic blues by delivering more than 16.90 lakh vehicles to customers in the 2020 financial year and reported sales revenue of approximately €50.0 billion. Admitting that the pandemic had taken a toll on deliveries and sales revenue in the first half-year, Audi credited a strong bounce back in the second half-year, especially the fourth quarter, to stage a robust comeback.
The total number of deliveries of Audi-brand vehicles to customers in 2020 was 1,692,773. This was slightly less than the 1,845,573 in the preceding financial year, by around 8%, but considering the pandemic-related situation as well as increased focus on sustainable technology, the German car maker would be mighty pleased. "Audi has resolutely faced up to the challenges of the last year and done everything necessary to emerge stronger from the crisis," said Markus Duesmann, CEO of AUDI AG. "Following a collapse in demand for cars in all regions of the world, stability returned to the markets later in the year – first in China, then in Europe and the USA too."
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The performance in the fourth quarter in particular was stellar and it would become the best-ever quarter in the history of the company. "In total we earned an operating return on sales before special items of 5.5 percent in the 2020 business year. This achievement is also the result of responsible crisis management during the corona pandemic and above all a strong team performance," said Duesmann.
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Audi also highlighted that its top-range models as well as SUVs fared well and that its electric offerings like Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback were among the best-selling battery-powered vehicles worldwide.
In terms of volume, the sales revenue of the Audi Group in 2020 amounted to €49,973 million (2019: 55,680 million) . The operating profit before special items was €2,739 million (2019: 4,509) million, equivalent to an operating return on sales before special items of 5.5 percent (2019: 8.1 percent).
Moving forward, Audi has once again highlighted that its commitment to investments in future models and technologies remain unchanged. “We look forward to the year 2021 with cautious optimism," said Arno Antlitz, Chief Financial Officer at Audi. "We want to carry over the strong momentum of the fourth quarter. Our ambitious goal is to grow significantly in comparison to the previous year."
