Audi’s House of Progress Signals the Future of Sustainable Driving

By David Stol

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last month, we took a trip to Montreal to visit the Audi House of Progress, where we previewed the electric vehicles soon to reinvent Canadian roads and the electric vehicle revolution.

After a whirlwind tour, Audi’s House of Progress made its North American debut in Montreal, an event that Bay Street Bull was lucky enough to experience in person on October 13. From Tokyo to São Paolo and Milan through Design Week, the House of Progress was an opportunity for Audi to present its vision for the future through an immersive consumer experience that highlighted the brand’s complete EV lineup, showcased Audi’s grandsphere concept car (which looked like something out of a James Cameron film), and depicted Audi’s forward-thinking commitment to sustainability. Intentionally set in the birthplace of transportation in Quebec – Cirque Éloize, Montreal’s first train station – the event led us through the evolution of the brand’s rich history of performance and looked ahead to Audi’s forward-thinking progression to digitization and sustainability.

“The Audi House of Progress is a platform to spark meaningful conversations with thought leaders about our passion for progress and our vision for the future of premium mobility. Progress seen and felt through our evolution of performance as we build sustainable concepts, partnerships, and initiatives,” said Audi Canada President Vito Paladino.

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Audi's new concept car, the grandsphere.
Audi’s new concept car, the grandsphere.

House of Progress was also meant to act as a catalyst for conversations as thought-leaders across multiple disciplines, practices, and verticals, share their vision of how progress can drive change through a series of thought-provocative panel discussions. Panellists included Nino Di Cara, Founder and President of Electric Autonomy Canada who will report on insights about Canada’s transition to electric vehicles and the future of transportation.

“Conversations such as today’s are so important to the growth and sustainability of this electric vehicle evolution we’re currently experiencing,” Di Cara explained to Bay Street Bull. “So much of the hesitancy around the industry comes from misinformation or a lack of communication, so when we’re able to have experts in the space speak to the strides Canada has taken in building the infrastructure necessary to support these vehicles, it has such an enormous impact on the country’s sustainability efforts.”

Audi's House of Progress panel of EV experts takes the stage in Montreal.
Audi’s House of Progress panel of EV experts takes the stage in Montreal.

More thought-leading panellists included Omar Gandhi, Canadian architect and founder of an award-winning modern architecture studio based and Dan Climan, a Montréal-born artist known for making artwork that mixes digitalism with nostalgia. Joining the conversation, Spencer Reeder, Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability at Audi of America, shared his perspective on what progress means to Audi.

In addition to showcasing Audi’s EV line-up and acting as a platform for conversations around progress and the future, the House of Progress also presented Audi’s grandsphere concept car for the first time in Canada. The second in a series of visionary concept cars, the grandsphere provides a glimpse of how tomorrow’s first-class automotive comfort will look: electric, automated, and intuitive, providing self-driving luxury at its finest.

The House of Progress is one of many steps Audi is taking in its dedication to going electric. By 2025, the brand plans to have a portfolio of more than 20 all-electric models that when charged with green electricity, emit zero carbon.

“Events such as these really reflect the culmination of efforts from manufacturers to journalists to even just the everyday consumer who hopes to live in a more sustainable, streamlined world,” continued Di Cara. “I’m so excited for what’s next. The [electric vehicle evolution] is far from complete, but we’re on a good path.”

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