Racing improves the breed, or so the old saying goes, yet in Audi’s case it certainly rings true. Following on from victories at Le Mans with TFSI technology (2001) and then the first ever diesel powered sports endurance racer (2006), the Ingolstadt automaker is attempting to go one better this year with a diesel hybrid prototype.
The car, which should prove a worthy rival for Toyota’s gasoline hybrid, the TS030, is seen as a logical step, especially considering Audi Sport’s experience with oil-burning technology.
According to Audi’s head of motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, the concept of combining diesel and hybrid technology “is at least as ambitious and challenging as our [pure] diesel project was in its early stages.”
With the debut of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2008 and subsequent releases from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, diesel's fortunes in the United States are beginning to change.
Unveiled Sunday at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi's Urban concept electric car with wireless charging is the answer to the question: “How much car is necessary to deliver driving pleasure and urban mobility in an entirely new way?”
Audi says the 1,058-pound (480-kg) vehicle is not based on any previous automotive category or Audi concept and “combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.”
It uses two 20-horsepower (15-kw) e-tron electric motors paired between the rear single-ratio-driven wheels delivering about 35 pound-feet (47 Nm) of torque.
The 7.1 kWh li-ion battery is transversely mounted behind the seats and weighs 198.5 pounds (90 kg).
Audi this week confirmed a hybrid version of its A8 for production, and revealed a wealth of new information about the car.
Audi’s 2014 model year A4 under development is reportedly getting a few environmentally agreeable options, including a plug-in hybrid version.
The rumor is that a fuel-burning engine will drive the hybrid’s front wheels, while a battery-powered electric motor turns the rear. All-electric range could be up to 37 miles, about the same as offered by a Chevrolet Volt.
The Volt is designed to hit speeds up to 100 mph, but the speeds for the A4 running on battery power only are as of yet unknown.
Audi is said to be preparing to bring a hybrid version of its A6 luxury vehicle to the United States. According to several media reports, the carmaker plans to release the A6 hybrid in U.S. sometime during the 2012 calendar year.
Next month a Wisconsin Toyota dealer hopes to post a new record for putting on the world’s longest hybrid parade featuring as many as 500 hybrid vehicles. Any make or model of production hybrid will be welcome at the Hybrids on Parade (HOP) event, being sponsored Sunday, July 24, by Smart Motors of Madison. The goal is to actually be recorded as a new Guinness World Record™ for longest hybrid vehicle parade.
In early December, Audi said that it would add an Audi A6 Hybrid sedan to its existing hybrid plans—which include the Audi Q5 Hybrid crossover and a hybridized Audi A8 sedan in the works. While making or breaking an appearance at a major auto show is no proof of future plans, the Audi A6 full-size sedan hybrid showed signs of life this week when it was unveiled alongside the new mainstream A6 at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
In a sign that VW is making its way toward aggressive goals for vehicle electrification, Audi (VW’s luxury division) last week said that it will add an Audi A6 Hybrid sedan to its existing hybrid plans—which include the Audi Q5 Hybrid crossover (expected late next year) and a hybridized Audi A8 sedan in the works. But Audi has been making hybrid and EV announcements for years, and has yet to launch an electric-drive vehicle.
Earlier this week at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen promised to lift hybrids out of its niche status and to produce electric cars. Audi, Volkswagen’s luxury brand, echoed the sentiment, making a commitment to full hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric cars. Rupert Stadler, Audi AG's chairman of the board of management, said, “We shall offer electric power in the best possible forms for a wide range of mobility needs. The hybrid driveline will be followed by all-electric vehicles."
