With concept cars such as the Grandsphere, Jason Battersby’s team at Audi is using sustainable materials that “can elevate the product and not detract from the performance.”
Jason Battersby credits his Canadian work ethic with helping him snag a position as senior exterior designer for Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany, where his team conjures some of the company’s most innovative vehicles.
“I try to always communicate our Canadian values through my work ethic, how I treat my colleagues and express myself through my design work,” said Battersby, who began in his current position in early 2021.
"Canadians Abroad” is an occasional feature that spotlights Canadians working in the auto industry in other countries.
In 2010, the Toronto native was a self-assured graduate with a master’s degree from Umea University in Sweden, but an internship at Audi AG in Munich showed that he was just beginning to learn the complex art of designing automobiles.
“I remember arriving at Audi very confident of my skills . . . only to feel like I was back in Grade 1, and everyone around me was in high school,” the 37-year-old said. “Those first six months were extremely difficult, being both new to Germany and . . . having to compete at the highest level of design.”
His schedule is varied and demanding. A typical day involves sketching or rendering digital designs, visiting the clay-modeling studio, consulting with colleagues on the 35-member exteriordesign team, and preparing and presenting renderings to executives. With two or three programs always on the go, Battersby has to be “quite agile” and constantly upgrading his skills.
“Nowadays, we also carry a much more diverse skill set than ever before,” using a suite of software to develop 3D models, then render and animate them, he said. And with concept cars such as Audi’s Grandsphere, Battersby’s team is showing how the use of sustainable materials “can elevate the product and not detract from the performance.”
Battersby’s career began after he earned an industrial-design certificate in 2006 from Humber College in Toronto. It was an experience he called a “great gateway” into automotive. He created store displays for clients, such as Nike and Sears, but longed to get into vehicle design.
Using a hockey metaphor, Battersby said that what you do “off the ice” will drive your success during the game.
“From an early age, I was always building, tinkering, designing in my free time, and that pure expression shouldn’t stop just because you graduated design school.”
Battersby and his wife return to Canada a couple of times a year to catch up with friends and family. He said he loves to see how Toronto is constantly evolving and growing in cultural diversity. Although Battersby has lived in Europe for 13 years, he is Canadian through and through.
“Canadians are few and far between in the car design business,” he said, “so I always knew in everything I do, I’m sort of representing the country. That is definitely something I am proud of.”
