Today we visited the Audi factory in Ingolstadt! This was probably the most highly anticipated company visit amongst all of us, and it certainly did not disappoint!

Throughout the last few minutes of the drive to the factory, I noticed that there was a huge network of railroad tracks very close to the factory, which proves an advantage when considering that it makes delivering the cars to their destination much easier. Upon our arrival at Audi Ingolstadt, we split into two touring groups. My group visited the Audi museum first, visiting the actual factory second. The museum was very interesting, as each floor served a certain purpose in conveying the history of Audi’s innovations. We began our walkthrough on the top floor, seeing the very first cars produced by the company. The next floor focused primarily on the late 1900s, and the last focused on the present and future of the company.

Then, we actually began our factory tour. At first, I was somewhat confused as the stations we were visiting were not in operation at the time of our tour. However, I was relieved when we reached the final assembly line. I watched in wonder as unfinished Audis flew overhead on conveyor belts, and then were lowered to the level of specialized workers who finished the car little by little. It was amazing to witness the employees at the end of the line drive the brand-new cars off the line to park them, awaiting their delivery to their final destination.

After our tour concluded, we ate at the Audi canteen, which was very delicious! Then we traveled back to the University of Augsburg where we were given a presentation by Bloomberg’s Stefan Nicola about the car industry as a whole. Afterward, I enjoyed a relaxing night to recover from our early morning.

I’ve enjoyed having the ability to reflect upon this trip in blog form, and I hope you keep following along!

– Juliana Alvelo-Davies