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Audi spills the beans on production 37 mpg A8 Hybrid

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Audi

Diesel-lovin' Audi is slowly, slowly coming to grips with this whole hybrid thing. Earlier this year, the "We're not against hybrids" automaker finally gave out some real information about its hybrid Q5 (after years of teases and killing the program once,) and we saw the A6 hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Today, Audi is making good on the promise it made at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010 when it showed off a thinly disguised hybrid A8 concept.

Due out in 2012 (coincidentally, the 15th anniversary of the Toyota Prius), the A8 hybrid should appeal to customers who crave the German automaker's style and dislike stopping for petrol every third day. The A8 hybrid uses a 2.0 TFSI engine and an electric motor to crank out a peak output of 180 kW (245 horsepower) and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque. Audi says all that power and style will come with 37 mpg (U.S.), which doesn't put the A8 at the top of the hybrid efficiency pack - remember, the A8 is huge - but it beats the pants off of the gas-only A8, which the EPA rates at 18/28/21 (city/highway/combined) mpg.

Even better for late night stealth missions to the golf course, the A8 hybrid can go three kilometers (1.86 miles) and up to 60 km/h (37.28 mph) using nothing but energy stored in its 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Once the luxury sedan is up to speed, it can move down the highway at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) on battery power, too. These are all good numbers (if only estimations from Audi, for now), and we eagerly await the chance to see how the A8 Hybrid operates in the real world. Until that time, check out the gallery below and read more details in the press release available after the jump.

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Audi spills the beans on production 37 mpg A8 Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: More hybrids, EVs coming from Audi

Michael Harley — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Crossover, Audi, Electric

Audi A8 Hybrid concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Thanks to the Volkswagen Group's strategy to be the leading player in the alternative-powertrain market within the next decade, Audi has announced a rapid expansion of hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years. The German automaker wants to improve efficiency of its internal combustion engines (both gasoline and diesel) by 30 percent - and it wants five percent of the brand's model line to be electric. "In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies," said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.

Joining the A8 Hybrid sedan, shown in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show, will be the A6 Hybrid arriving on its next-generation platform within the next two years. That will be accompanied by the soon-to-be-launched Q5 Hybrid crossover. Audi intends to brand its "e-tron" name to represent the company's electronic mobility lineup (just like it did with "quattro" - now synonymous with all-wheel drive). Unlike its competitor BMW, which is working on smaller commuter-type urban-based EVs, Audi is engineering its vehicles for a more expensive niche. The new models are expected to debut in 2012.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Audi A8 Hybrid Concept

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: More hybrids, EVs coming from Audi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi officially confirms Q5 hybrid coming in 2011

Chris Shunk — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Audi

Audi Q5 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen doesn't seem to be a big fan of electric vehicles, yet the four-ringed automaker appears to be warming to the green tech. Since de Nysschen's assault on the Chevrolet Volt (and electric vehicles in general), the German luxury automaker has unveiled the sweet-looking eTron concept, and it is now officially confirming that it will venture into the hybrid market.

Audi published a press release today touting the billions of euros it is spending to increase its product portfolio from 34 models to 42 in 2015. One of the info-bits buried within the text is the promised 2011 arrival of a Q5 hybrid, a development first rumored back in May. The hybrid Q5 would be Audi's first full hybrid vehicle, giving the German luxury car maker an entry in the growing green scene. Audi didn't take the opportunity to provide any details about powertrains or battery types, but it does say that the Q5 hybrid would be officially unveiled by the end of 2010.

Audi has in the past said that it didn't plan to go all-in on hybrids due to the fact that the German automaker feels diesels make more sense both financially and in terms of practicality, particularly for the U.S. market. While most of us around AB agree with this thought process, we think that if Audi has decided to pursue gas-electric models anyway, the hot-selling Q5 should make a good first hybrid - especially as its size will enable Audi engineers to more easily fit an electric motor and a battery pack into its CUV proportions. Further, the Q5's somewhat hefty price tag might help hide some of the added cost associated with a hybrid powertrain. Hit the jump to read over the official verbiage.

[Source: Audi]

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Audi officially confirms Q5 hybrid coming in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi kills plans for Q5 hybrid

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Crossover, Audi

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi Q5

A few short months after announcing that it would be killing off the Q7 hybrid SUV, Audi has decided that its smaller brother, the Q5, doesn't really need the fuel-saving option either. The German automaker cites the safety of its nickel metal hydride battery packs, but we're not completely sold on that being the real concern, especially considering the hundreds of thousands of Toyota Prius hybrids (among others, of course) already roaming the world's busiest highways with nary a problem. If not safety, then why cancel the project? Pricing is likely the biggest factor holding Audi's hybrids back, along with Audi's large investment in turbo diesels and the growing use of lightweight materials in its line, especially the use of aluminum in its chassis structures. Adding the cost of hybrid technology to these already expensive programs may seem cost prohibitive. Oh yeah, and gas is getting cheap again.

Gallery: Beijing '08: 2009 Audi Q5

[Source: Autocar]

Audi kills plans for Q5 hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW and Sanyo hook up on lithium-ion battery development

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Audi, Volkswagen

Following the lead of Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Nissan, Volkswagen has announced a major deal with Sanyo to produce lithium-ion batteries. The two companies already have ties, as VW uses Sanyo's nickel-metal hydride batteries in its current hybrid vehicles, such as the upcoming Audi Q7 hybrid. Li-ion batteries are the current cream-of-the-crop when it comes to storing electricity and VeeDub has plans to begin offering vehicles with the high-tech copper tops as early as 2009.

Unlike Toyota and Nissan, which have created jointly run manufacturing plants with their battery suppliers, Sanyo will be going it alone with an 80 billion yen, or $769 million, investment in order to expand production of its li-ion batteries by 2015, at which time it plans on producing 15-20,000 units per year. Sanyo also happens to provide nickel-metal hydride batteries for the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Honda Civic Hybrid.

[Sources: Volkswagen, The Detroit News]

Continue reading VW and Sanyo hook up on lithium-ion battery development

VW and Sanyo hook up on lithium-ion battery development originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 May 2008 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Q7 hybrid and diesels to arrive next year

Dan Roth — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Green, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen

Audi's first diesel and hybrid powertrains in the US will be launched in the Q7 next year. The power units will likely trickle down to other vehicles in Audi's range, but they're not yet offering up any details on how prolific this hardware will be. Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been working collaboratively to develop the parallel hybrid system, which makes the choice of the Q7 logical, as all three brands share a flavor of the architecture. Hybrid Q7s will be able to power around on the electric motor up to 31 mph, and the system will also shut down the engine during cruise conditions at speeds up to 75 mph. The total weight of the system adds 300 pounds, most of which is in the 288-volt NiMH battery pack.

The modular hybrid system will be easy to integrate with different powertrains once Audi starts propagating the system throughout the rest of their models, and terming it "modular" denotes that the basic pieces will be very adaptable. When Porsche and Volkswagen get their versions of the hybrid gear, we'd expect the engines to differ from the Q7's 3.6 liter 280 horsepower unit. Audi's claiming a 23 percent mileage improvement versus the conventional Q-ship. As for the oil burner, it will be a 3-liter V6 that is 50-state compliant while quietly thumping out 230 horsepower and 400 ft-lb of torque. Diesel torque delivery can be often be described as "electric-motor like," but we wonder if the Hybrid, with its actual electric motors, will laugh at the diesel's effort as it gets the hole shot.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

Audi Q7 hybrid and diesels to arrive next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi outlines green strategy

Siddharth Raja — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:07:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Audi

With strict new emissions standards looming in both the US and Europe, carmakers are hard at work developing new initiatives to curb tailpipe emissions and lower fuel consumption. One of the trendsetters is Audi, which hopes to build the world's cleanest diesel engine and at the same time be the first automaker to offer a diesel model that meets the forthcoming Euro 5 emissions standards. It plans to launch a new range of ultra-clean and efficient TDI engines from the middle of next year, which will offer the same pulling power of today's versions but with even lower fuel consumption and emissions. One example is a 3.0L V6 that develops 240bhp and a massive 550Nm (495 lb-ft) of torque.

Audi has even more in store for lovers of frugal motoring with the launch of more 'e' models based on the new TDI engines as well as its TFSI gasoline range. In developing its 'e' range, engineers looked at almost every aspect of a car in search of ways to save fuel. Some of the changes implemented include the addition of low rolling resistant tires, specially tuned gear ratios and reduced friction for the mechanicals.

The final phase of Audi's green initiative will be the rollout of hybrid models, the technology for which is still under development. Taking a more moderate approach to the hybrid craze, Audi has said it will only put hybrids in models where it sees "significant benefits."

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi outlines green strategy

Audi outlines green strategy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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