E-tron

Audi's A3 e-tron concept to be shown at Auto Shanghai for the first time today, is a plug-in hybrid technical study based on the company's four-seat RS 3 Sportback. It uses a turbocharged, direct injection, 211 hp, 1.4 litre TFSI unit and a 27 hp electric motor to give the E-Tron a top speed of 144 mph plus exceptional frugality and energy efficiency. Read More

When it comes to local emission-free transport its hard to beat a child’s pedal car. But if you’re looking to give your kid’s ride a little more grunt while still maintaining some green cred then Audi’s Auto Union Type C e-tron study should fit the bill. The prototype vehicle, which will be on show at the 62nd International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, is based on the UKP10,000 (approx. US$15,900) limited-edition pedal car model sold through Audi dealers, but adds an electric motor that can propel the vehicle to speeds of up to 18.64 mph (30 km/h). Read More

The large roof areas of factories and production plants are an obvious choice for the installation of solar cells and Audi has just announced it will install additional photovoltaic modules on a 7,500 square meter (80,729 sq. ft.) area of the roof of its main plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The expanded solar capacity will be used to charge the batteries of Audi’s e-tron models using new electric car charging stations and will also be used to provide green electricity to the plants’ production facilities. Read More

As electric cars take to the streets, the people at Audi have been confronted with what they see as a new problem to solve: their cars are too quiet. Acoustic technicians have been enlisted to find the new sound of Audi, and it won't be a roaring V8 or hissing turbo – the inspiration might just come from the sci-fi world. Read More

We took a shine to the Audi e-tron Quattro when it appeared in Frankfurt last year followed by a smaller version in Detroit. Why? Because it's simply stunning to look at... and has specs to match. The latest iteration was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show this morning – the e-tron Spyder concept. This open-top, plug-in-hybrid two-seater combines a 221-kW (300-hp) twin-turbo V6 TDI at the rear axle and two electric motors at the front to deliver a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph), reaching 100 km/h (62.14 mph) from a standing start in just 4.4 seconds. Read More

Following on from its wow factor appeal at the Frankfurt motor show last September, the next model e-tron from Audi is aptly called the Detroit show Audi e-tron, and has been unveiled here in ... err, Detroit. Now you’d think it would logically be the same uncompromising purist all-electric sports car from Frankfurt but everything is much more compact with a much shorter wheelbase and gross weight has been cut to 1,350 kg. Two electric motors with a combined output of 150 kW (204 hp) and 2,650 Nm (1954.54 lb-ft) accelerate the coupe with ASF-design aluminum body from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds. Most importantly, the Detroit Audi e-tron has “torque vectoring which enables it to distribute its high torque between the wheels entirely as required for unprecedented levels of active precision and traction. Audi claims the e-tron drives like a go-kart – agile, good on bends and neutral right up to its very high handling limits. Read More

One of the highlights of IAA 2009 was undoubtedly Audi’s electric Quattro, and the development ecosystem the company is establishing. Dubbed the e-tron, it has four motors producing in total a 230 kW (313 hp) and a stunning 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, enabling it to accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The car’s lithium-ion battery is stored directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity, and holds 42.4 kilowatt hours, enabling a range of 250 km. Read More