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

Volkwagen wants to be "the leader in electrification"

Europe's largest automaker continues to talk big when it comes to launching and expanding its plug-in vehicle offerings in both Europe and the US. Volkswagen this week outlined its goal to become "the leader in electrification" starting with the debut of the e-up! city electric-vehicle in Europe this fall, Plug In Cars reports.

VW's Dr. Rudolf Krebs went further, saying that the German automaker set a goal of having plug-ins account for three percent of its global sales by 2018. VW's first US plug-in, the E-Golf, will debut stateside next year.

How VW will take a leadership role in electric-drive technology is unclear, as the company didn't reveal much detail beyond launching as many as six plug-in hybrids through its Audi division starting next year. Audi recently cancelled the A2 electric vehicle project. Regardless, Krebs said that VW, whose US efforts to boost fleetwide fuel economy have been almost exclusively through clean-diesel vehicles, would only be able to meet stricter emissions standards via electric-drive technology. In 2011, VW debuted its Think Blue program to push for more environmentally friendly transportation options and last year started testing the E-Golf throughout various US cities.


Source: Autoblog Green

Audi to Deep Six Electric A2 and A1 e-tron

Audi has demonstrated a vote of little confidence in electric cars by revealing it has canceled plans to produce the all-electric Audi A2, and the range-extended A1 e-tron.
CAR cites Audi's concerns that the projected 40,000 Euro price tag--just under $50,000--would make the project unviable for the low sales volumes it would likely attract.
The A2 concept was first revealed at last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, where it spearheaded a range of Audi electric vehicles including the A1 e-tron, the closed and open-roof Urban Concepts and the R8 e-tron.
Partly inspired by the 1999 Audi A2, a forward-thinking aluminum-bodied subcompact, the electric A2 concept was set to use a 114-horsepower electric motor and offer a 125-mile range. Styling wasn't too dissimilar to the distinctive original A2, but it featured laser head- and tail-lights and turn signals that ran down the entire length of the car.

Audi A1 e-tron Concept

Also disappearing into the ether is the A1 e-tron, based on Audi's European sub-A3 offering. Audi cites the small profit margins on cars like the A1, and the poor state of the European market, as reasons for its demise.
The innovative vehicle previewed the use of a Wankel rotary engine mounted below the trunk floor. This made the e-tron a range-extended vehicle, supplying extra power should the car's battery pack run down. The car was said to offer a 30-mile electric range, and a combined range of 155 miles.
Audi hasn't revealed what will become of the 20-strong lease fleet undergoing testing in Munich, but we hope they'll avoid an EV1-style fate.
It isn't clear whether Audi still has plans to produce the small Urban Concepts, nor an electric version of its R8 supercar--but judging by the latest cull, we're not holding our breath.


Source: Green Car Reports

Audi introducing electric A2 concept at Frankfurt

Audi released a teaser for its upcoming introduction of the A2 concept, featuring an electric-only powertrain, as a technical study at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt later this month.

Sketch of the A2 concept. Click to enlarge.

The Audi A2 concept has a flat interior floorboard. The center console is attached to the driver’s seat; the rear console extends forward between the two rear seats. The four individual seats add lightness, and there is storage space under the fold-up seat cushions. There is room between the rear seats for a city bicycle with its front wheel removed. The load area has two levels; a frame with functional nets creates the upper level.

The concept is 3.80 meters (12.47 ft) long, 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) wide and 1.49 meters (4.89 ft) high.

With its headlights, Audi is presenting the next phase in LED technology, known as matrix beam. A package of LEDs and microreflectors generate a high-resolution and non-glaring high-beam light. Delicate daytime running light fibers frame the highly efficient LED low-beam light module. Intelligent tail lights adapt their illumination to the visibility conditions. The rear fog light, produced by laser diodes, is seen as a beam of light in fog and projects a red triangle onto the road as a warning.

Source: Green Car Congress

DBM Energy's record-breaking KOLIBRI battery passes government tests

Audi A2 converted with DBM Energy Cells

PRESS RELEASE

For over a year the KOLIBRI battery cells developed by DBM Energy have been performing reliably in electrically powered logistics vehicles. In October 2010, as part of a demonstration project, this innovative battery technology powered a conventional passenger car converted to electrical power over a distance exceeding 600
km, setting a worldwide record. 5,000 charging cycles document the range and longevity of the KOLIBRI LMP lithium-metal-polymer battery technology. Independent studies now also confirm the safety and performance of the KOLIBRI technology.

Safety
On 17 January 2011, the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM - Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung) initiated a comprehensive test program to evaluate the safety aspects of the innovative LMP lithium-metal-polymer battery technology (KOLIBRI) developed by DBM Energy GmbH. The recently completed tests on individual battery cells confirm that the KOLIBRI technology used on the world record-setting drive on 26 October 2010 meets the required safety standards for use in stationary applications as well as in passenger and commercial vehicles.

The safety tests were conducted in accordance with the protocols established in the 5th edition of the UN Transport Test Manual for the Transport of Dangerous Goods published in 2009. The recommended testing methods for lithium batteries serve as an international standard. In eight exhaustive tests series, the KOLIBRI technology was examined to establish its safety when subjected to extreme climate and pressure variations, electrical short-circuiting, overload or inversed polarity as well as strong mechanical forces such as vibrations, show and heavy impact.DMB's LMP cells easily passed the entire range of tests.

"The LMP cells we tested stand out by their high degree of technical safety," said Prof. Schröder in explaining the results of the tests, which had been repeated a number of times. The LMP lithium-metal-polymer battery systems met all the standards set in the UN test series. The cells exhibited no leaks, did not generate heat exceeding 170 degrees Celsius, did not decompose or ignite, and maintained in excess of 90% of electrical tension.

In addition to the UN tests, the battery cells were also tested for fire risks. The LMP cells proved absolutely fire and explosion proof when exposed to direct fire. The BAM's Prof. Schröder concludes: "Overall it can be stated that the KOLIBRI cells completely fulfill all safety requirements for this type of technology."

Performance
Besides BAM's safety tests, the KOLIBRI technology was subjected to an independent range test by German certification institute DEKRA at its test center at the Lausitz EuroSpeedway racetrack in Klettwitz, Germany. The range of the LMP battery system on the Audi A2 test vehicle platform was determined following the procedures set down in the currently applicable
ECE-R 101 directive for measuring the range of vehicles equipped with an electric drive. The tests were conducted in facilities and with equipment that fully complied with testing protocol requirements.

At the time of determining testing parameters prior to commencing the test, the vehicle weight – empty weight not including driver – was measured below the approved total mass of 1,500 kilograms. The maximum energy delivered by the LMP battery was measured at 62.928 kWh. By comparison, the battery capacity registered at the time of the world record in October 2010 was 98 kWh. The lower capacity, however, proved sufficient for the range tests as per ECE-R 101, which require that a distance of at least 300 km be covered.

All test results of the KOLIBRI technology were subsequently verified and validated by DEKRA. This includes the initial battery charge after handing over the vehicle, recharging the battery over charging period of 12 hours, discharging the battery over a distance of 100 km at a constant speed of 70 km/h as well as determining the vehicle's driving resistance. The peak speed measurement during the 30-minute maximum speed segment was 100 km/h. The required condition of covering a distance of 300 km within 7 days was met in one session on a roller dynamometer, indicating a range of 454.83 kilometers with the 62,928 kWh LMP battery. Adjusted for the battery capacity of 98 kWh at the time of the worldwide
range record, the range would have been 714 km. The efficiency of the LMP battery was determined to be at 97%.

The test vehicle equipped with the KOLIBRI battery technology will be on
display on the BMWi (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology)
stand in Hall 2 at the Hannover Messe Industrie trade fair and expo from 4
to 8 April 2011.

About DBM Energy
DBM Energy GmbH , founded in 2009 and based in Berlin, Germany,
manufactures high-performance energy storage systems. DBM Energy has
developed an innovative battery technology: KOLIBRI. This lithium-based
intelligent energy storage system is monitored, controlled and optimized via
integrated controllers to ensure optimum efficiency. The KOLIBRI technology finds
universal application as an energy storage system for stationary equipment,
electric passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles in the logistics and
manufacturing industries. As part of a demonstration project, an everyday vehcole
modified for electric power and equipped with the KOLIBRI technology covered a
distance exceeding 600 km with a single charge in October 2010, setting a
worldwide record.

Controversy and intrigue surround DBM 375-mile battery

Intrigues are not difficult to find in the world of electric vehicles. Whether it’s the saga of General Motors’ EV1 or Renault’s executive-sabotage case, E.V.’s generate intense controversy. The latest involves a battery pack employing what is called Kolibri alpha-polymer technology.

Last October, a Kolibri-powered Audi A2, converted by DBM Energy GmbH and Lekker Energie with funding from the German economy ministry, traveled from Munich to Berlin, around 375 miles, which the car covered in about seven hours without recharging. Upon arrival, its 115-kWh pack was only around 80 percent depleted, implying a total range of more than 400 miles from a pack weighing just 770 pounds. For comparison, the Tesla Roadster's pack, which claims 245 miles of range, weighs 990 pounds.

If verified — and DBM states on its Web site that the inspection organization DEKRA checked the vehicle and also cites 30 eyewitnesses — it would be a world record. A specially designed battery-powered Daihatsu Mira went 623 miles on a track last May, but while only averaging 25 miles per hour. The 375-mile journey by the Lekker Mobil is notable because it was done on public roads in wet weather at an average speed of 55 m.p.h.

As for the controversy? The A2 disintegrated in a December fire while parked in a warehouse, though DBM claims that a makeshift battery unit, and not the one used during the supposed record run, was installed at the time. The fire is under police investigation, but it has prompted skeptics to further question whether DBM has anything to hide.

Peter Hoffmann, who publishes The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter Web site and newsletter, discovered that the organizations that were instrumental in the vehicle’s development were not backing down and intend to bring a Kolibri battery and another converted A2 to the CeBIT electronic industry show in Hanover, Germany, in March. Mr. Hoffmann reported that DBM planned to convert a third A2 as well as a BMW X5 and conduct more “confidence-building” tests later this month.

For its part, DBM exclaims on its Web site, “We have done nothing wrong!”, adding that its plans to bring the battery to market have not changed. DBM also claims to be working to bring Kolibri technology to stationary storage for renewable energy producers. A version of the battery is in service on a forklift operated by Papstar, a paper manufacturer.

Battery specifications provided to Mr. Hoffmann by DBM might prompt further incredulity among skeptics. The firm expects its pack to operate for 10 years, or 2,000 charge cycles. Mr. Hoffmann also cites estimates that the mass-production cost of a 98.8 kWh version of the pack would range from 800 to 1,000 euros, or from about $1,100 to $1,400, which is thousands below current costs.

“Needless to say, if these claims for vastly extended battery ranges are proven to be true, it could change the entire ballgame of battery electric power vs. hydrogen fuel-cell technology,” Mr. Hoffmann wrote.

Source: New York Times

German Electric Audi A2 Sets Record

The Converted Audi A2 All Electric Vehicle








An electric car developed by a German company Tuesday set what organizers said is a world record when it drove 375 miles without recharging its battery.

Mirko Hannemann, 27, drove the yellow and purple all-electric Audi A2 in seven hours from Munich to Berlin, where he arrived Tuesday morning.

German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle, who jumped inside for a quick drive in the courtyard of his ministry, called Hannemann's trip a technological quantum leap.

"No other electric car has gone to such a distance," he said.

Japanese scientists drove a 1-person electric car more than 600 miles around a track, but that was at 25 miles per hour and with a vehicle that was basically all battery.

"Today, we have shown what everyday cars can do," said Hannemann, the chief brain behind DBM Energy, a startup from Berlin that developed the powerful battery pack that made the long trip possible.

Consumers have so far been put off by the short driving range of electric cars, usually at between 60 and 100 miles, and by the cost and size of the batteries.

The four-seat Audi A2, funded by German utility lekker Energie and the German Economy Ministry, has all features of a regular car, including a fully usable trunk.

Hannemann drove the 375 miles at 55 miles per hour on average, had the heat on and was able to whisk around a few more miles in the city.

The battery, based on what DBM Energy calls the KOLIBRI AlphaPolymer Technology, comes with 97 percent efficiency and can be charged at virtually every socket. Plugged into a high-voltage direct-current source, the battery can be fully loaded within 6 minutes, Hannemann said.

"This is a great success," said Andreas Goerdeler of the German Economy Ministry. "We are in a fierce global competition and this proves that we're technological leaders."

Eager to reduce the dependency on imported oil and cut carbon dioxide emissions from road traffic, the German government last year said it wants to have 1 million electric cars cruise its highways by 2020.

Germany's powerful car industry has been criticized for being a tad late to the electric car game, with rivals from France and mainly Asia one to two years ahead when it comes to launching serial production.

To speed up this process, the German government has earmarked around $700 million for sustainable mobility research and development, including programs to develop the charging station infrastructure and boost battery technology, an area of expertise that has long belonged to Asia. Berlin supported Hannemann's record project with $380,000.

The young inventor hopes that his battery pack can challenge the Asian dominance. Key will be if it's affordable.

Hannemann couldn't give an exact price for his battery -- he said that was dependent on scaling effects -- but vowed it wouldn't just be more powerful, but in the end also cheaper than conventional lithium ion batteries.

A logistics company has put the DBM Energy battery packs into their forklifts, which are now running 28-hour shifts without recharging.

Hannemann hopes that the world record attracts more industry investors to launch mass-scale production of batteries to be put in future German-made electric cars.

"We are open for talks with the car sector," he said.

Asked when his company would be able to launch large-scale production, Hannemann replied: "Optimistically? Now."

Source: UPI