Audi employs hybrid locomotive at Ingolstadt plant

This Audi drives on rails: A 1,000 horsepower plug-in hybrid locomotive manufactured by Alstom replaces the plant locomotives previously used at the Audi plant in Ingolstadt as of today. This means that components and finished Audi models will now reach the plant’s loading stations in a more climate-friendly way.

According to Johann Schmid, head of the Audi plant railway in Ingolstadt, “Our goal is all‑round sustainable logistics. The new railway technology allows more economical, energy‑efficient and low‑emission rail transport. In connection with the latest chassis technology, the plug‑in‑hybrid locomotive sets new standards in shunting and rail transport.”

The complete automobile plant in Ingolstadt includes 18 kilometres of railways. Every day, 15 goods trains arrive at Ingolstadt North railway station for the carmaker – loaded with pressed parts, engines and transmissions, as well as cars from other Audi sites that are ready for delivery to customers. And cars produced in Ingolstadt also start their journey to customers by rail. Seventeen Audi locomotive drivers work at the plant railway. One of their tasks is to allocate the wagons to the various plant buildings. One plant locomotive carries out up to 75 shunting maneuvers every day and operates for an average of 3,800 hours each year.

The new locomotive runs without any emissions inside the plant buildings and can operate for up to two hours at a time in purely electric mode. Its battery is plugged in during breaks for recharging with CO₂‑free electricity, or is supported while in motion by a diesel engine. Hybrid locomotives are significantly quieter and their CO₂ emissions are reduced by half compared with conventional locomotives at the plant. This means that the plug‑in‑hybrid locomotive emits up to 60 tonnes less CO₂ each year.