In electric-only mode not just free of local emissions but also efficient and sporty – Audi is consistently pursuing its electrification strategy with its comprehensive plug-in hybrid offensive. Audi is presenting the hybrid variants of the models A8, A7 Sportback, A6 and Q5 with an electric range of more than 40 kilometers in the WLTP cycle at the Geneva Motor Show. Thanks to different output levels, the customer has the choice between a comfort variant and a performance variant with a sporty design, depending on the model series. The new plug-in hybrid models will be available for order during the course of the year 2019.
Wide selection of models: The plug-in hybrid strategy of Audi
Plug-in hybrids from medium-size SUV to luxury sedan – with Q5, A6, A7 and A8 TFSI e, Audi is expanding its range of plug-in-hybrids for sustainable mobility. Depending on the model series, there is a choice of two variants with different performance and equipment: A comfort model and a variant with a sporty configuration with S line scopes, a more tightly tuned suspension and drive setup with higher boost performance of the electric motor for more dynamic handling. From now on, the new plug-in hybrid models carry the “TFSI e” signet. In the future, the “e-tron” label will remain reserved exclusively for electrically driven cars.
Power from two hearts: the versatile drive concept
The plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) create enthusiasm thanks to their versatile character. In electric-only mode, for example, free of local emissions in the city, no range anxiety when driving long distances, sporty and dynamic with the with the power of two hearts from the combustion engine and electric motor: The drive concept offers a wide range.
The electric-only range of the PHEVs will account for more than 40 kilometers in the WLTP cycle for every model. The hybrid drive concept is designed so that customers can travel on around a third of their usual routes in electric-only mode during day-to-day driving.
All new plug-in-hybrids by Audi use a turbo-charged gasoline engine with direct injection that works together with an electric motor that is integrated in the transmission. A lithium-ion battery beneath the luggage compartment floor supplies the electrical energy. As a result, the electric motor can support the combustion engine during acceleration. The result: high start-off performance and powerful acceleration.
At the same time, with regard to recuperation, the drive system resembles that of the new purely electrically driven Audi e-tron*. It is designed for high efficiency and maximum recuperation performance. When breaking, the new Audi PHEV models recover up to 80 kW of energy. The electric motor handles slight decelerations, i.e. the majority in everyday traffic. For medium brake applications, the task is divided between the hydraulic wheel brakes, which perform this task alone only with a deceleration of more than 0.4 g.
The lithium-ion battery for the A6, A7 and A8 is made up of 104 pouch cells, which are combined in eight modules. It stores 14.1 kWh of energy at a voltage of 385 V. The lithium-ion battery in the Q5 comprises prismatic cells and has the same capacity. In each case, the cooling circuit of the battery is integrated in the low-temperature circuit, which supplies the electric motor and the power electronics. The power electronics transform the direct current of the high voltage-battery into a three-phase current for the electric motor; when recuperating, it does the opposite. The standard heat pump ensures efficient vehicle climate control and can generate up to 3 kW of heat energy from 1 kW of electrical energy with the waste heat occurring in the vehicle.
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SOURCE: Audi
