BMW details Concept X5 eDrive ahead of New York debut

Already weighing more than most other types of vehicles and with the space to accommodate the extra equipment, crossovers and SUVs arguably make for one of the more ideal platforms to transform into a hybrid. And there have been a handful of them – like the Audi Q5, Infiniti QX60/Nissan Pathfinder, Porsche Cayenne/Volkswagen Touareg, Lexus RX450h/Toyota Highlander and Cadillac Escalade/Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon – but by and large the majority of hybrids on the market are sedans and hatchbacks. BMW, however, looks poised to join the minority with the X5.

The Bavarian automaker showcased the X5 eDrive concept at Frankfurt last year, and as promised, has now revealed the followup it will present at the New York Auto Show in just a few days. The new Concept X5 eDrive, as BMW has now revealed, pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four good for 245 horsepower to a 95-hp electric motor to deliver a combined 340 horsepower. Its lithium-ion battery can power it for up to 20 miles and at speeds up to 75 miles per hour before the gasoline engine needs to kick in. All that without sacrificing the vehicle's utility, maintaining an almost perfectly flat loading floor with 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, and without sacrificing much on performance, either: with a 0-62 time of seven seconds flat, the X5 eDrive concept is quicker off the line than the production X5 with the 2.5-liter turbodiesel and just a tenth off of the 3.0-liter turbodiesel.

With the full technical details now released (you can delve into it all in the press release below), the only question remains when BMW will actually put the X5 eDrive into production. Given its appearance in New York, though, we gather that whenever it does reach showrooms, it'll reach American ones as well.

Show full PR text

News Source: BMW

Report: Audi Bringing 2013 Q5 Hybrid To the US

Audi's Q5 Hybrid, which debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and has already hit the market in Europe, will soon make it to the U.S. as Audi’s first hybrid offering on these shores.

So says a report from Kicking Tires, citing an unnamed Audi spokesman as a source. While pricing and availability dates remain unknown, the Q5 Hybrid will arrive here sporting the same drivetrain as European models.

That includes the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine used on the existing 2012 Audi Q5, good for 211 horsepower, supplemented by a 54 horsepower electric motor.

Both motor and engine will share duties via a multiplate clutch linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The electric motor is powered by a 1.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, and it can be used to propel the car for short distances at speeds of up to 62 mph. Its primary function, however, is providing supplemental power to boost fuel economy.

Audi claims the net result is combined fuel economy (in Euro cycle testing, which tends to be about 20-percent optimistic compared to our own EPA testing) of nearly 34 mpg, while retaining the Q5’s ability to tow over 4,400 pounds.

Even acceleration is impressive, with the Q5 Hybrid able to make the dash from 0-62 mph in just

We expect the Q5 Hybrid to come wearing slightly new styling, courtesy of a mid-cycle refresh for the Q5 lineup scheduled for the 2013 model year.


Source: Green Car Reports

Audi to equip all Chinese-made models with mild hybrid technology

China Car Times reports that Audi will equip all of its locally-made models with mild hybrid technology next year according to an interview with Dominique Boesch, the GM of FAW-VW’s Audi sales unit.

The mild hybrid technology can reduce energy consumption by 3-5%, told Mr. Boesch. But they have not made the final decision on the pricing. They are also considering applying mild hybrid technology to the imported Audi models.

Mr. Boesch also said that they will launch Audi Q5 coming with full hybrid technology in future, and then launch all-electric vehicles.

Audi’s Plans for 2011 Include 1,200 New Jobs and the Launch of the Biggest Investment Program in Company History

Audi’s plans for 2011 include 1,200 new jobs and the launch of the biggest investment program in company history

• Company primarily seeking specialists in career fields of the future
• Board Member for Human Resources Thomas Sigi: “Innovation requires people”
• Audi plans to invest about € 11.6 billion in fixed assets by 2015

Audi is investing heavily in its future and intends to hire about 1,200 skilled employees in 2011. The company plans to invest around € 11.6 billion between 2011 and 2015, primarily in new products and technologies, as well as in upgrading its sites. More than € 5 billion is earmarked for the German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

“Innovation requires people,” said Thomas Sigi, Member of the AUDI AG Board of Management for Human Resources. “For this reason, we want to hire around 1,200 experts in 2011 who will primarily bolster our electromobility and lightweight construction fields of competence, as well as the implementation of our growth strategy.” During 2010 Audi recruited about 500 experts and 780 trainees who began their vocational training in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

From 2011 to 2015 the company plans to invest about € 11.6 billion in fixed assets, making this the biggest investment program in the company’s history. “With this investment, we are laying the foundation for sustained, profitable growth, and supporting our claim to leadership in the premium car segment,” said Axel Strotbek, Board Member for Finance and Organization of AUDI AG.

About 80 percent of all investment – more than € 9.5 billion – will go to developing new products and to technologies of the future such as electric and hybrid drive systems. One example is the Audi R8 e-tron, the first electric sports car from Audi, which the company wants to begin selling in late 2012.

The brand with the logo of the four rings will introduce numerous new models in 2011, including the new Audi A6 and the Audi Q5 Hybrid, the first full hybrid from the carmaker. In launching the new Audi Q3, which is manufactured in Martorell, Spain, Audi is occupying the midsize premium SUV segment for the first time.

The foundation for the future is also being laid at the company’s German sites: more than € 5 billion is to be invested in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm between 2011 and 2015. “In addition to our foreign sites, the German sites will also profit greatly from the Audi brand’s good worldwide prospects for growth, especially in China,” Strotbek said.

Source: Audi Press Release