Audi prices e-tron starting at €80,000; new Audi Sport e-tron GT promised for 2020

Audi’s first fully electric series-produced model, the Audi e-tron, will be available in Germany starting at €80,000 (US$98,800), said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management, at Audi’s annual press conference in Ingolstadt. Audi will stage the world premiere of the battery-electric vehicle this summer in Brussels. The Audi e-tron Sportback will follow in 2019.

Rupert Stadler with the Audi e-tron prototype.

Stadler also presented a design sketch of a fully electric gran turismo: the Audi e-tron GT. This spearhead from Audi Sport will be produced at the Böllinger Höfe plant near Neckarsulm as of 2020.

Sketch of e-tron GT.

Stadler said that Audi will leverage the Modular Electric Toolkit that Volkswagen is developing for the compact segment as well as its own premium-architecture electrification to be used for electric vehicles in the mid-, upper-, and luxury-range. Through this cooperation with Porsche, Audi will reduce development costs by a three-digit million euro amount.

By 2025, Audi will have approximately 20 electrified models in its product offering across the entire portfolio. More than half of them will be fully electric; the others will be plug-in hybrids. Furthermore, all core model series will be equipped at least with mild hybrids. Audi already offers cars with some degree of electrified drive systems in half of its core model series.

Audi Claims 100 Euro Per Kilowatt Hour Battery Cost

When the Audi e-tron quattro arrives in 2018, its battery cost for the all electric SUV may cost as little as €100 per kilowatt-hour. That’s according to Dr. Peter Martens, who was named the company’s head of research and development last month. Speaking to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, Martens was asked why Audi decided to make its first electric car a relatively large sport utility vehicle.

“We opted for a top-down strategy, because most buyers will be found there today in this segment. Currently, a kilowatt hour costs about 100 euros, depending on the model.” That certainly makes sense, given that such vehicles are the most popular vehicle style in most major markets around the world today. “Only when we come well below that price, will E-mobility in volume segments be interesting,” Martens added.

Last week, Audi announced that it will put its e-tron quattro Sportback (someone at Audi really needs to take a class in capitalization) into production in 2019. The Sportback is a sleeker, more stylish version of the SUV specifically aimed for folks who want little to no utility included in their sport utility vehicles.

It is a continuation of a new fad in the automobile industry to build large vehicles that can carry a basketball team inside — together with a whole lot of basketballs — but look like swoopy coupes instead of a boxy box on wheels.

Both cars will be nearly identical under the skin and both will have a 95 kWh battery. If Martens is correct, that battery should cost Audi about $10,000 per vehicle. Martens told AMUS that Audi expects to make a profit on the new cars but not as much as it does on its traditional offerings.

Bear in mind that the cost of battery cells is one thing. Putting them together into a battery pack with sophisticated cooling and battery management systems in place can raise the total cost considerably.

Despite the happy talk from Martens, workers at the company are less than thrilled with senior management at Audi. A report by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag last week claims an internal memo is being circulated that is sharply critical of CEO Rupert Stadler. In it, Stadler and the board are slammed for not adequately preparing the company for the future, citing “disastrous” indecision at key junctures in the recent past.

Elon Musk has been begging mainstream manufacturers to make “compelling” electric cars for years. Beginning in 2018, several companies, including Audi, will start marketing the cars they think will meet Musk’s challenge. “We’ll see,” said the Zen master.

Source: Inside EVs

Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept Is The Real Deal

Audi plans to have its its first all electric car, the E-Tron, in showrooms next year. That car is pretty much a conventional SUV in appearance, albeit one that has been enhanced with various ruffles and flourished inside and out. But Audi is looking further down the road than that. For Shanghai, it wanted to show off its E-Tron Sportback, a concept car that has a little more wow factor than the somewhat straightforward E-Tron.

Automobile styles go through periods when certain design idioms are popular. Over the past 5 years or so, stylist have crammed more and more creases — called character lines — onto the flanks of their cars. There is one car in showrooms right now that has no less than 5 separate character lines all fighting each other for attention. Right now, the rage in the automotive world is the long sloping rear roof line. The objective is to take a big, boxy SUV and make it look like a sexy two door sports car.

That shape is great for reducing aerodynamic drag but not so great for getting the stuff that an SUV is meant to carry into and out of the vehicle. The Tesla Model X is a prime example. Tesla calls it an SUV but it’s really a 5 door hatchback with tall suspension and a higher seating position. Still, customers like cars that are emotional and there is no question that the swoopy look is more exciting than the box on wheels approach.

The Audi E-Tron Sportback concept features that long, tapering roofline. It will follow closely on the heels of the original E-Tron Audi chairman Rupert Stadler told the press at the 2017 Shanghai auto show, with production versions arriving in showrooms in 2019. The concept closely resembles the Tesla Model X, except with more creases along its sides.

The spec sheet say it will have a liquid cooled 95 kWh battery and 311 miles of range, but that is in the highly optimistic European test cycle. Subtract about 20% to get to the EPA equivalent. The car will have three electric motors making 429 horsepower (496 in boost mode) and a projected 0 to 100 kph time of 4.5 seconds.

Audi says the E-Tron Sportback’s Shanghai debut is a nod to China being the world’s largest EV market. “There are already about 150,000 charging stations in the country, with another 100,000 due to come on stream by the end of 2017,” says Audi’s Dietmar Voggenreiter. “In the next five years we will be offering five E-Tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 500 km.”

The concept uses tiny cameras instead of side view mirrors, an idea whose time has surely come. In addition to a gee whiz interior, it does innovative things with exterior lighting, as described in the Audi press release. “The concept car’s lighting technology is an innovation that is visible by both day and night. Digitally controlled Matrix LED units at the front and rear produce an excellent light yield. Minuscule Digital Matrix projectors literally make their mark on the road ahead, turning light into a versatile, dynamic channel of communication with the surroundings.”

No pricing details have been announced, but expect any electric car from Audi (and other manufacturers) to cost roughly what an equivalent Tesla would. Elon Musk has been begging mainstream manufacturers to make compelling electric cars for years. Soon, we will know if Audi it up to the challenge. And keep in mind that anything Audi does is available to everyone else in the Volkswagen Group, including Porsche. Things are about to get interesting in the world of electric cars.

Source: Endgadget   Photo credits:Audi

Audi A3 E-Tron Sportback already getting residual value love

It's a tricky game, but the folks at Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke are looking into the future. Through the mists of future time, they say that they think that buying an Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid today is going to look like a smart buy in a few years. The German automaker likes what it sees in terms of resale value for the plug-in hybrid A3, Audi's first mass-produced plug-in, and the car has already been named a "Wertmeister." That's the "value champ" designation that Auto Bild hands out every year.

Audi says the A3 e-tron has the "most stable residual value in its class," and is expected to retain more than 57 percent of its original value four years after rolling off the dealership lot. That gives the plug-in hybrid bragging rights to the "Wertmeister" award for the Compact Car category. Audi also won second place in the Full Size category with its Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI

The German automaker started sales of the A3 e-tron last summer in Germany, pricing the model at about $51,500. The cars has 204 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds and has an all-electric range of up to 31 miles. Check out Audi's press release below, and take a look at our First Drive impressions of the model here.

Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron is "Wertmeister 2015"

Auto Bild crowns Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron "Wertmeister 2015"

Audi A6, Audi A7 and Audi Q3 also awarded top‑three places

Ingolstadt/Berlin, February 5, 2015 – the Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron* is the car with the most stable residual value in its class. That was the conclusion drawn by Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke. The A3 e‑tron stands out with the best residual value forecast among the compact cars, receiving the title "Wertmeister 2015".

Every year, Auto Bild and Schwacke select the cars in each class that are expected to depreciate the least during the following four years. The winners take the "Wertmeister" title. The Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron is the winner in the "Compact Car" category with a residual value of 57.3 percent. The Audi A3 e‑tron is the first plug‑in hybrid from Audi. It combines sporty power with impressive efficiency and abundant driving enjoyment with unrestricted everyday utility.

Second place in the "Full‑Size" category goes to the Audi A6 Avant* 3.0 TDI competition, the Audi A7* 3.0 TDI competition takes third place in the "Luxury Class", while the Audi Q3* 2.0 TDI quattro comes in as runner‑up among the "Small SUV" models. Auto Bild and Schwacke are awarding the "Wertmeister" title this year for the twelfth year running – and doing so in 15 different categories. 40 models and 14 brands were considered during the evaluation. The award ceremony will be held tonight in Berlin.

*Fuel consumption of the models named above:

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 1.7 – 1.5** (138.4 – 156.8 US mpg);
Combined power consumption in Wh/km: 124 – 114** ;
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 39 – 35** (62.8 – 56.3 g/mi)

Audi A6 Avant:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 9.6 – 4.4** (24.5 – 53.5 US mpg);
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 224 – 114** (360.5 – 183.5 g/mi)

Audi A7 Sportback:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 9.5 – 4.7** (24.8 – 50.0 US mpg);
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 221 – 122** (355.7 – 196.3 g/mi)

Audi Q3:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8.4 – 4.4** (28.0 – 53.5 US mpg);
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 198 – 114** (318.7 – 183.5 g/mi)

**The fuel consumption and the CO2 emissions of a vehicle vary due to the choice of wheels and tires. They not only depend on the efficient utilization of the fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behavior and other non-technical factors.

Audi A2Q BEV With 300-Mile Range To Launch In 2018?

According to Auto Bild, Audi is reportedly working on a tiny city carcalled the A2Q with range of some 300 miles!!!

We’re not so sure we believe that Auto Bild report, but here it is (via Google Translate):

“In the booming SUV segment, there will be with A2Q and Q6 soon purely electric-powered Audi with thick battery packs. We expect 2017/2018 with the idea. Then the lords of the rings want to give correct flow. If the expected advances in battery technology are true to the compact A2Q from 2018 sparkle with 500 km E-reach, a year earlier-starting Q6 to create even 700 km between the socket stops. Great prospects.”

The A2Q isn’t what we’d call a SUV, but rather more like a small BMW i3 (tall city car).

Auto Bild continues:

“The A2Q – the name Q2 and Q4 also has can be protected Alfa – it goes completely against the BMW i3. Unlike the Bavarian neighbors but Audi does not develop completely new electric platform, but uses the familiar MQB modular architecture of Golf/A3.”

The translation gets a bit rough, but here’s the rest of it:

“In the Ingolstadt then every but deliberately a unique silhouette in the style of earlier A2 – after all is not the electric Audi may be confused about how the e-Golf with its conventional brethren. One of the identifying features of all future electric novelties include a smaller single-frame grille with chrome and the great aerodynamics package in which you want to replace the mirrors with cameras as soon as this technology is qualified for admission to the major markets.”

Again, we don’t believe that Audi will have ready this A2Q with 300 miles of range in 2018, but perhaps we’ll be proven wrong.

Source: Auto Bild

New 3.0 Liter Audi V6 TDI Good for 40 MPG, 442 ft-lbs of Torque

Starting next year, the new Audi 3.0 liter V6 TDI engine will be offered across its lineup, offering more power and efficiency over the outgoing model. You’re gonna like these numbers; in addition to being 13% more efficient, the new Audi motor can make up to 442 ft-lbs of torque. Got any tree stumps you need yanked out of the ground?

While that may not be the best use of your luxury sedan or SUV, with that kind of torque you could certainly make a go at it. The new V6 motor features 90-degree cylinder banks and efficiency-improving features like low-friction piston rings, a variable-load oil pump, and an improved heat management system that ensures the engine runs at peak efficiency. Audi will offer the V6 in two different flavors, making either 215 or 268 horsepower, versus the 240 horsepower of the outgoing model.

Audi hasn’t specified what cars will get the new V6 TDI, but in the current Audi A6 TDI, the 3.0 liter engine is good for 38 MPG on the highway and 24 in the city, for a combined rating of 29 MPG. A 13% boost should easily push the highway mileage over 40 MPG, making the A6 TDI one of the most efficient large sedans you can buy. The new engine even meets the super-strict Euro 6 emissions standards, averaging 15 grams of CO2 less than its predecessor. Other likely candidates for this engine besides the A6 are the Audi A8, Q5, and Q7.

I mean really, what’s not to love here? 40 MPG. Almost 450-ft-lbs of torque. I’m lovin’ it anyway you put it.

Source: Audi

370-Mile Audi Q8 E-Tron Gets Production Green Light

This Audi Concept Hints at the 2017 Production Q8

Okay, so it’s not quite the 435 miles of range that we reported a few days ago, but 370 miles (NEDC) would still make the Audi Q8 E-Tron the EV range champ.

Audi Allroad Live in Detroit

The Tesla Model S 85 kWh has an NEDC range of 310 miles.

Autocar is reporting that the Audi Q8 E-Tron has been given the production green light.

This vehicle, expected to be priced at over $130,000 when it launches in either 2016 or 2017, will be loosely based off the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Concept shown for the first time ever at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.

Audi All-Road E-tron Shooting Brake

If indeed Autocar is accurate (the UK-based magazine cites Audi insiders as its source), then the Tesla Model X will have a true competitor, though we should note that the Model X will beat the Q8 E-tron to market by 2 to 3 years and will certainly be less expensive than the Q8 E-Tron’s estimated $130,000.

But wait…there’s more.

The Q8 E-Tron will make use of the same battery chemistry and electric hardware that will be found in the confirmed-for-production Audi R8 E-Tron.

Both vehicles will feature some sort of undisclosed next-generation battery technology.  It’s believed that the battery capacity of the Q8 E-Tron will be approximately 80 kWh.

There’s no mention of battery capacity for the R8 E-Tron, though we suspect it won’t be fitted with 80 kWh.  Perhaps something more along the lines of 50 to 60 kWh will give the R8 E-Tron its claimed range of 248 miles with the use of Audi’s “different type of battery” technology.

When the R8 E-Tron was first unveiled, it featured a 48.6 kWh battery and had only 134 miles of range.  Audi cancelled the R8 E-Tron due to what it felt was a range that was too limiting.  Audi re-ignited the R8 E-Tron’s development when it discovered a “different type of battery” tech that could give the R8 E-Tron a realistic 248 miles (assume NEDC) of range.

Audi R8 E-Tron

Source: Ecomento

What on Earth is Audi doing with E-Tron?

If we take a quick look back in history, we realize that the first timeAudi mentioned the name E-Tron to the public was all the way back in 2009. Back then, the name was applied to an entire concept car, called simply the E-Tron, which was an R8 converted to an electric vehicle with a big battery pack and some powerful electric motors. It was a supercar for the plug-in set, and it went over so well that Tony Stark drove one in Iron Man 3 this year. With that kind of publicity for the marquee E-Tron, it's confusing that the E-Tron name has been applied to a seemingly endless stream of concepts, test vehicles and rumors over the past four years. At least a dozen, by our count.

There was the original R8 E-Tron, an A3 Sportback E-Tron (EV and PHEV versions), the R18 E-Tron Quattro racecar, an all-electric A2 E-Tron concept, an A6 L E-Tron PHEV that was shown off in Beijing andrumors of A4 and Q7 E-Tron Quattros. Then we had the E-Tron spyder concept and the city E-Tron concept, as well as news of an A5 E-Tron Quattro plug-in hybrid. And then there's the A1 E-Tron plug-in hybrid that is being tested in Germany. Got all that?

Audi is finally getting ready to take the E-Tron name out of the movies and the auto show circuit and start putting plug-in cars in customer driveways. As it gears up for the launch of the first E-Tron – the A3 Sportback E-Tron, coming in 2014 – we flew to Berlin to find out what's taken so long, and what's coming next.

Berlin is a city that welcomes alternatives. Leaving aside the city's embrace for different lifestyles and a wide variety of artists, transportation in Germany's capital is certainly "go as you are." Everywhere you go in Mitte (downtown), you see car-sharing vehicles (electric and gas-powered options from companies likeBMW's DriveNow and Daimler's Car2Go as well as lots of the Citroen C-Zero, aka the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, from Multicity). The public transportation network gets my vote for the best in the world. If you're biking through town – and there are bike paths everywhere – the chorus of start-stop engines firing up when a stop light turns green is astonishing. Add in the known European love for diesels and the fact that many vehicles burn autogas (liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG), you can see how Berlin moves in many different ways. The big question of the week, though, was whether Berlin and, of course, the rest of Germany/Europe/the world is ready for plug-in vehicles.


A3 Sportback E-Tron

The last four years all lead to the A3 Sportback E-Tron.

Audi's answer, finally, is a qualified yes. While you could look at that endless stream of E-Trons as a series of projects that never went anywhere, Michael Baumann, spokesman for the technology and innovations departments at Audi AG, sees it differently. Baumann, who has only been involved with E-Tron since September 2012, said the key is to differentiate between concept cars that are put on a stage somewhere to gauge the reaction of the market and the media, and those that are destined for customers. The R18 E-Tron Quattro, after all, is a racecar that was never intended for sale, but it did win the 24 hours of Le Mans in 2012 and will be trying for a repeat later this month.

"Certainly the A2 that was shown in Frankfurt two years ago was a pure concept car for the moment, but I think the interesting question is where does it all lead to and why did we do these," Baumann said. Indeed, that's exactly what we're interested in.

It turns out, the last four years all lead to the A3 Sportback E-Tron. It's electric, which qualifies it for the E-Tron name since that's how Audi now describes any car that has a plug, similar to how Quattro is applied to an all-wheel-drive Audi, and it has a range extender. That's the qualified part.

The engine can completely charge the battery pack – the first time a PHEV can do this.

Arriving next year, the A3 Sportback E-Tron does not look like an EV – it looks pretty much exactly like a standard A3 Sportback. In fact, there was almost a "don't you dare compare this to other EVs" vibe to the presentation of the vehicle's performance features, which are impressive. It's got 258 pound-feet of torque and 204 horsepower. Zero-to-100 kmh (62 miles per hour) happens in 7.6 seconds. Top speed is 138 mph. There's an electric range of 31 miles from the 8.8-kWh li-ion battery (7.0 kWh useable with a 3.3-kW on-board charger), and an overall range of 584 miles with a full gas tank – and you can travel that distance emitting an average of just 35 grams of CO2 per km thanks to an efficient 1.4-liter TFSI engine and a newly designed six-speed E-S Tronic transmisson. Because the engine could sit unused for many weeks, the engineers added a "robustness package" that coats the cylinders and an oil quality sensor to make sure things remain lubricated, prolonging engine life.

The few changes to the A3 Sportback are a slightly reduced rear cargo space (it still has 9.89 cubic feet behind the rear seats, compared to 13.4 in the standard 2014 A3 Sportback) and a charge connector hidden behind the four Audi rings in the front. Audi will also sell a branded home charging unit with the A3. The charger will be standard in the US, despite data that shows many plug-in drivers are perfectly happy to charge at 110 volts in the US, especially with a small battery pack like the one in the A3. In Europe, recharging takes 3:45 from a standard outlet. Two hidden buttons next to the connector set up either immediate or delayed charging.

The A3 Sportback E-Tron has four base driving modes: electric only, automatic, hold mode (similar to the Chevy Volt, where the battery pack is kept charged above a certain level in order to take advantage of city congestion charge zones) and a charge mode, where the TFSI engine will not only move the car, but also charge the battery pack. This is similar to the Honda Accord PHEV's HV mode, but the Audi's engine can completely charge the pack – the first time a PHEV can do this, as far as we know.

The first A3 E-Tron will be launched in Europe and, as soon as possible after that, it will come to the US and Asia.

The A3 Sportback E-Tron can go over 80 mph on pure electric power, and the car is happy to coast, too. This excellent feature means, if you are going fast and take your foot off the accelerator, the car won't immediately apply the regenerative brakes. Technically, higher e-speeds are possible (see: R8 E-Tron), but in order to maintain the A3's battery and overall efficiency, Audi decided to let the TFSI engine kick in if you go faster than 80 mph. Each of the four driving modes also has a "normal" and "sport" operating mode. The upcoming E-Tron is also as connected as anything else on the market, with the ability to talk to Twitter and Facebook, look up local gas prices and, if you bring your own smartphone, dictate text messages. When you're away from the car, you can use that phone to see if a cable is plugged in, the battery state of charge and even where the car is. Forgetful parkers, rejoice.

Production of the A3 Sportback E-Tron will take place alongside production of the other A3 Sportbacks in Ingollstadt, Germany. That production line should have some capacity flexibility once A3 production is moved to Györ, Hungary. No one from Audi would dare talk about production numbers, to say nothing of pricing, for the A3 Sportback E-Tron. It's simply too early for that. We do know the first A3 E-Tron will be launched in Europe and, as soon as possible after that, it will come to the US and Asia. Europe's date with destiny is 2014, but will the car come to other markets next year, we asked? "Hopefully."




The E-Tron Experience

So that's how Audi has decided to package its first production plug-in vehicle. Baumann told AutoblogGreenthat the car is proof all those other E-Tron vehicles were not wasted energy. "We are showing we are working on all systems in the car, that we could easily either translate those into different projects or go ahead with a project like this if it were to be decided in the company," he said. "To just say 'dead,' 'dead,' 'they never did it,' 'dead' is a little bit of the wrong approach because the knowledge base that you have to build up, which is completely new for all manufacturers, is enormous."

"You will see the plug-in hybrid technology on the Q side and the A side in several other models."

To that end, Audi has been running test fleets of A1 E-Tron plug-in hybrids in Europe and pure electric A3s in the US. "The purpose here is simply to find out how customers behave if they have a car like this in hand," he said. "What would be their requirements for electric driving? How many kilometers a day would they go? When do they charge? We now understand that the premium segment customer – and this is an important point – doesn't want to have range 'angst.' They want to be sure they can go anywhere with this."



The R18 E-Tron Quattro endurance racecar, on the other hand, exists to show off. Baumann said one of the mantras of Audi technical chief Wolfgang Dürheimer is that once you make hybrids successful in motorsports, then everybody will "get it." Therefore, Baumann told us, "The purpose of the R18 is not customer experience. It is contributing to the overall story. We're coming from many different perspectives to a point in the end where we have said, for series production cars from Audi, the plug-in hybrid technology is the absolute best solution." With the powertrain figured out, the A3 Sportback was chosen as the right starting point because it is a car that appeals to younger customers. In the US, the A3 Sportback is already popular on the coasts. And guess where plug-in vehicles are popular? Down the road, Baumann said, more showroom Audi vehicles will get a plug. "You will see the plug-in hybrid technology on the Q side and the A side in several other models," he said. "They are definitely coming.


R8 E-Tron

Even a taste of Iron Man's R8 E-Tron is enough to wish we had Tony Stark's money.

Besides getting a preview of the A3 Sportback E-Tron, we got to drive a few of Audi's advanced powertrain vehicles in Berlin. They were all short drives, but even a taste of Iron Man's R8 E-Tron is enough to wish we had Tony Stark's money. With a 48.6-kWh battery, electric motors that put out 380 hp and 604.80 lb-ft and a range of 134 miles, it's insane that this is the E-Tron Audi won'tbuild. Oh, and it's gorgeous, too.

Throwing the R8 E-Tron through a short course set up on the grounds of the old Templehof airport, it was instantly clear that this car could be immensely popular. It's feels lethally fast (the short straightaway limited our ability to just let loose, but the car can hit 100 kmh, or 62 mph, in 4.2 seconds) and it traces the curves like a professional cartoonist. We could do without the generated "synthetic e-sound," but everything else about the car – the suspension, the way the seat sits at just the right angle, the digital rearview mirror – we loved. The punch of all that electric torque off the starting line and out of the curves is just too delicious.

Audi brought 10 R8 E-Trons to Berlin, but they were there just to tease us. Baumann said it just doesn't make financial sense to sell these cars. "The decisive factor here would be the price and the weight of the battery systems," he said. "They would have to be halved. The price we would have to ask to have a somewhat workable business case would be way too high." When pressed, he admitted each R8 E-Tron one would cost over a million. That's Euros, not dollars, and it's a pretty big difference from the 2014 R8, whichstarts at $114,900.

Each R8 E-Tron one would cost over a million. That's Euros, not dollars.

As for the hefty battery pack, it currently weighs 580 kilos (1,279 pounds) in a car that weighs 1,780 kilos (3,924 lbs.) overall. Compared to other high-performance electric vehicles out there, from other manufacturers, that's not bad, but in Baumann's opinion, it's still too much. "If you would halve it – or turn it the other way around and say the energy density has to be doubled," then it might work, he said. "We think there are significant steps on the batteries that need to happen before we could make this workable from a day-to-day usability factor, what the car can do in the end and also the price factor," he said. This all sounds dreary for the R8 E-Tron's future, which has been off and on and on? for the last few years, but Baumann did leave himself just a hint of wriggle room. "Despite the fact that we are currently not going ahead with a series production car here, I think we quite clearly demonstrated out there on the field there is no technical reason in terms of performance of the car, the systems working and everything, not to do this," he said.


A3 Sportback G-Tron

Baumann called it "the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance motoring."

Audi is going to move forward with the only non-plugged member of the "Tron" family, though. The A3 G-Tron is Audi's first natural gas car and will be on the road in 2014, maybe at the end of 2013. The G-Tron project is about more than burning natural gas, since Audi has also developed a way to use CO2 as a raw material. The fuel that the cars burn contains no fossil fuels and no biomass. Audi takes wind energy and uses it to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. Then, through methanation, the hydrogen and CO2 react with a catalyst to create natural gas. Then, the e-gas, as Audi has branded it, will be pumped into Germany's existing natural gas network and, in the end, driving an A3 G-Tron could be considered driving a carbon neutral vehicle. Baumann called it "the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance motoring." As with the E-Tron, when we were piloting one through the traffic-filled streets of Berlin, there was no way to tell we were not in a standard A3. You're just one more alternative in the streets of Berlin. You can read more about the G-Tron here and here.


A7 H-Tron?

"We are pretty sure that within the next ten years, [hydrogen] won't play any role in a series production car."

Not long before our trip to Berlin, Dürheimer let slip that Audi is working on a hydrogen-powered A7. Speaking in Berlin, Michael Baumann's speech included a line that said something like "E-Tron, G-Tron, and the family will grow." If that doesn't preview an H-Tron line at some point, we'll eat a wankel engine from one of those early A1 E-Tron prototypes. If Audi's timeline is right, that point is a decade away.

Baumann told us, "On the fuel cell side, it's important to understand that Audi is part of Volkswagen Group and within Volkswagen Group you have certain core competencies in terms of pushing different technologies. Fuel cell technology is certainly being pushed by Volkswagen research, nonetheless, and there are several A7s that are pure research cars. Mr. Dürheimer has said "they are finished and driveable as research cars. At the same time, we are pretty sure that within the next ten years, [hydrogen] won't play any role in a series production car." After years of waiting to actually let a customer plug in an E-Tron, why are we not surprised that Audi is taking it slow with hydrogen as well?

Source: Autoblog Green