Autoblog

REPORT: 2011 Audi RS3 gunning for Focus RS, hybrid A3 on the way

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Europe, Green, Hatchback, Audi

The all-new Audi A3 is right around the corner and that means a new RS3 will follow soon thereafter. According to Autocar, the new four-ringed hot hatch will be motivated by the TT RS' twin-turbocharged, 2.5-liter five-cylinder, putting out approximately 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque through a new, beefed-up seven speed dual-clutch gearbox. Naturally, motivation will be sent to all four wheels through Audi's Quattro system, and a new torque-vectoring differential will be tasked with getting all that grunt to the ground. The new A3 is expected to debut in 2011, with the RS3 variant coming the following year.

Also in 2012, Audi is rumored to begin fleet trials of its new A3 equipped with TwinDrive - the same system set to be employed on the hybrid Golf - which utilizes a 105 hp, 1.6-liter diesel-powered four-pot that joins a 30kW motor to aid the front wheels and another set of 30kW in-wheel motors to power the rears. A 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack will be mounted in the floor of the trunk, receiving electricity from a combination of regenerative braking and (supposedly) a plug-in charger. When equipped in the Golf, the TwinDrive system will reportedly power the hatch up to 31 miles on electricity alone.

[Source: Autocar (1) (2)]

REPORT: 2011 Audi RS3 gunning for Focus RS, hybrid A3 on the way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 May 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEAT unveils new Twin Drive Leon prototype hybrid

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Hybrid, Green, Hatchback, SEAT

The SEAT Leon Ecomotive was a Leon that had been picked over and removed of many inefficiencies in order to deliver a frugal 3.7 liters/100 kilometers (63 miles-per-gallon) as well as lower CO2 emissions. The SEAT Twin Drive Leon Prototype takes that idea a giant leap further by making the car a plug-in hybrid, adding a 35kW electric engine to the car that handles all of the motivation on the urban cycle.

Almost all of the car's running gear was massaged in the drive to become a hybrid. A lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric motor, and it is said to propel the car to a range of 50 km and a maximum speed of 100 km (62 miles-per-hour). For the moment, the 1.9-liter TDI engine remains to handle extra-urban duties. However, SEAT is looking at completely phasing out the internal combustion engine on future Ecomotive models.

Spain's Minister of Industry wants one million hybrids on Spanish roads by 2014, which is when the Twin Drive could make its appearance in showrooms. You can read all about it in the press release after the jump, and see it in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: SEAT Leon Twin Drive Prototype

[Source: SEAT]

Continue reading SEAT unveils new Twin Drive Leon prototype hybrid

SEAT unveils new Twin Drive Leon prototype hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW to fleet test Twin Drive Golf plug-in hybrid concept in 2010

John Neff — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Twin Drive Golf

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has revealed a new concept today called the Golf Twin Drive. The Twin Drive is a plug-in electric hybrid that uses a powerful 82-hp electric motor and a 2.0L turbodiesel producing 122 hp. The electric motor is fed energy from a pack of lithium-ion batteries that can sustain the car's mobility for about 50 kilometers or 31 miles, after which the diesel engine will take over propulsion duties. While we do know the Twin Drive also features start-stop technology and regenerative brakes, we're still a bit unclear on how everything works. From the way it's been described in the news and VW's somewhat vague press release that we've translated from German, the gas and electric motors are completely isolated, with one unable to provide the other assistance under heavy loads like in the Prius or a typical parallel hybrid. At the same time, the Twin Drive Golf doesn't sound like a series hybrid in the same vein as the Chevy Volt, as the gas engine (or diesel in this case) is directly connected to the drive wheels. In other words, the engine onboard is not simply a range-extending generator supplying power to recharge the batteries like in the Volt. What the Twin Drive appears to be is a plug-in hybrid with a very robust electric drivetrain that's forced to drag around an internal combustion engine in case it gets too far away from home. Regardless, when we find out exactly how Twin Drive works, we'll let you know.

Volkswagen is developing the Twin Drive system with eight German partners and is planning a trial fleet of 20 Golfs outfitted with the system in 2010. The German government is along for the ride, and for a good bit of green PR, VW promises the the electricity used to charge the fleet of test vehicles will be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar power.

Gallery: Volkswagen Twin Drive Golf

[Source: Volkswagen]

VW to fleet test Twin Drive Golf plug-in hybrid concept in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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