Audi Introduces A1 Five-Door Concept with Plug-in Hybrid Drive at Paris Show
02 October 2008
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| The Audi A1 Sportback PHEV concept. Click to enlarge. |
At the Paris Motor Show (opening to the media today), Audi is unveiling the A1 Sportback concept study. A follow-on from the Audi A1 project quattro three-door show car presented in 2007 (earlier post), this is a concept for a five-door four-seater for the sub-compact class with a plug-in hybrid drive.
The powertrain is based on a turbocharged 1.4-liter TFSI engine developing 110 kW (150 hp), whose power is directed to the front wheels by means of the S tronic dual-clutch transmission. This engine is an advanced version of the unit that made its series production debut in the Audi A3. Whereas the 1.4 TFSI delivers 92 kW (125 hp) in the A3, it delivers 110 kW (150 hp) at 5,500 rpm in the study. Its peak torque of 240 Nm (177.01 lb-ft) is on tap over a broad rev band from 1,600 – 4,000 rpm.
Multi-hole injectors result in very homogeneous mixture formation and extremely efficient combustion. This is also an effective means of helping to cut criteria emissions.
Eighty percent of peak torque can be delivered up from as low down as 1,250 rpm—barely above idling speed.
A 20 kW (27 hp) electric machine sits between the engine and transmission, and blends in automatically depending on the selected operating mode, or can propel the vehicle by itself.
The capacity of the lithium-ion batteries (installed in the rear) gives the vehicle a range of up to 100 km (62.14 miles) in pure electric mode; the pack can be recharged from any power socket.
When powered solely by the combustion engine or purely by the electric motor, and when both are used in the boost mode, the A1 Sportback concept operates as a front-wheel drive vehicle. Combined high torque of 390 Nm (288 lb-ft)—240 Nm (177 lb-ft) from the 1.4 TFSI plus an extra 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) from the electric motor—is transformed into the required level of tractive power when accelerating.
The automatic start/stop facility, energy regeneration and phases of purely electrical operation reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of the Audi A1 Sportback concept by almost 30% compared to when it is running on the combustion engine alone.
Despite its sporty performance, with acceleration of 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 kph (124 mph), the Audi A1 Sportback concept consumes 3.9 liters of premium fuel per 100 km (60.31 US mpg); CO2 emissions are 92 g/km (148.06 g/mile).
Outstanding, but how much will it cost and how much luggage space will you have?
It would be useful to put the running gear into larger cars such as the A3 and A4 and see what come out.
Also pair it with a diesel engine, of which Audi have many.
Also, see how it goes with a battery half the size.
Posted by: mahonj | 02 October 2008 at 02:23 AM
Excellent to see VW/Audi finally returning to their PHEV roots.
I say that because Audi already tried to market a plug-in hybrid in Europe about ten years ago (the Audi Duo diesel-electric).
Since then, they've had AC Propulsion creating and testing lithium-ion based plug-in hybrids for them (a 1.4 Beetle was the platform back then), with very promising results.
I think they've realised that the time is finally right (ie high oil prices coupled with falling battery costs) to roll out the PHEVs.
Posted by: clett | 02 October 2008 at 02:53 AM
20 kW electric motor? Are they joking? You wouldn't get 1 km without needing and wanting more. This 100 km electric only range is useless without a motor powerful enough to get along in traffic.
Or is this article not telling the whole story, and is there is another, much more powerful motor hidden somewhere?
Posted by: Anne | 02 October 2008 at 03:06 AM
"Concept" ....... nuf said
Let's see them produce 10.000 a month, so it actually helps us get rid of oil.
(and it looks like a 1975 Honda Civic)
Sorry...
Posted by: Kweksma | 02 October 2008 at 03:12 AM
Like most cars with decent fuel efficiency ( >50 mpg ), this one will undoubtedly stay in Europe, with the knucklehead American politicians still pandering to their constituents in the domestic auto industry centres.
Hey, if they really wanted Americans to have access to fuel efficient vehicles at this point, they could allow the Japanese auto makers to export their micro-cars en masse, or set-up their American plants to produces them. $12,000 US would buy a reliable, decent looking microcar with all the mod cons---air con/hatchback/disc brakes/ etc with the same fuel effiency as the $40-50 K
Audi above.
How will Joe Six-Pack get out of his big Dodge Ram when peak oil really sets in in 36-48 months from now? Luxury hybrids available to rich consumers aren't exactly going to get the US out of this one....
Posted by: stuck in shizuoka | 02 October 2008 at 03:32 AM
Anne:
20 kW is more than enough for city traffic. If you need more performance (highway) you have the 110kW tfsi enginge.
Posted by: huhu | 02 October 2008 at 04:37 AM
What huhu said. You need less than 10kW for city driving, so why over-engineer the e-motor? Want to pay more for something you won't need?
Posted by: randomdude | 02 October 2008 at 06:08 AM
Eventually, buyers will have a wide choice with regards to e-motor size & number of battery pack modules.
We don't even have a single mass produced PHEV on the road and we want the perfect vehicle to suit all tastes.
Aren't we asking for too much too soon?
Posted by: HarveyD | 02 October 2008 at 06:26 AM
"Aren't we asking for too much too soon?"
NO WERE NOT. It's 3 years past 'it's taking way too long'. The car companies are dragging thier feet, still. In 05 we were told the 99mpg would be out 09 model year thats NOW. We were told the 35mpg hydrolic hibrid F-150 would be out late 08, thats NOW. Phoenix Motorcars said thier SUT/SUV would be available to the public in late 08, thats NOW. But for at least the next two years the best we can get is a Prius or TDI, both of which I could get in 2000, eight years ago.
Posted by: Joseph | 02 October 2008 at 08:36 AM
My God, has it been 8 years...
Posted by: | 02 October 2008 at 02:22 PM
Less than 14hp for city driving huh? Are you sure you'll be conquering the hills in San Francisco with 14hp and 4 passengers + 1 driver?
Posted by: | 02 October 2008 at 04:32 PM
About 9 years after the 1999 PNGV cars, I would expect a complete line up of very fuel efficient cars that seat 4 and get over 50 mpg. Now with $4 gasoline and shortages facing us, we just hear about how cars are not selling so well.
Posted by: sjc | 02 October 2008 at 07:50 PM
It seems many commenters in here are not aware of the very different power/torque characteristics of electric motors compared to the gasoline counterparts we are used to. A typical gasoline engine with 100 kW peak power @ 6000 rpm rarely churns our 20 kW @ 1500 rpm. Furthermore, during acceleration from standstill there is no loss of engine power/torque in the clutch/torque converter.
20 kW continuous power in this A1 probably corresponds to something like 45-50 mph. Clearly not enough for highways, but should be sufficient for most driving within cities.
More than 20 kW continuous power would probably require a larger battery, which would not be feasible at the current stage of battery technology.
Remember, this is a PHEV, not a BEV!
Posted by: Thomas | 03 October 2008 at 01:59 AM
10 kW is quite sufficient to maintain 60 mph in a C-segment vehicle.
Posted by: clett | 03 October 2008 at 05:57 AM
Quoth nameless:
- 20 kW is about 27 horsepower.
- Hauling 3500 pounds up a 10% grade at 15 MPH requires only about 14 horsepower at the wheels.
You wouldn't accelerate fast, but you can't do that in traffic anyway.Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 03 October 2008 at 10:09 AM
Another year has past since last show. Concepts a plenty but still no production PHEV available or in the immediate future. We were supposed to see such vehicles for 2009 production year, then it became 2010, which is now going to be a "limited production" year and we are looking at 2011, while some are already pushing their horizon further out to 2012-2015. If it took Toyota almost a decade to market a million Prius and still have production constraints, I would be willing to bet that we wont see any significant number of PHEV's on the road before 2020.
Posted by: Joe | 03 October 2008 at 08:59 PM
"Less than 14hp for city driving huh? Are you sure you'll be conquering the hills in San Francisco with 14hp and 4 passengers + 1 driver?"
also bear in mind SF has excellent public transport, so you can simply let the trams tackle the steep grades.
Posted by: eric | 04 October 2008 at 02:19 AM
Engineer-Poet:
Hauling 3500 pounds up a 10% grade at 15 MPH requires only about 14 horsepower at the wheels.
The calculation is correct, but how does that work in reality? That means going flat out, using all 20 kW, you can drive up a 10% hill at 30 mph. But you forget acceleration. At 15 mph, half of the power is already going into climbing the hill, so if you're lucky you have 10 kW left for acceleration. Which is not a lot. People will have the feeling like they're driving a truck.
Secondly, what many seem to forget is that theory is all fine and well, but when you buy a car that can do 0-100 kph in under 8 seconds, you're not gonna be happy when it has only 20 kW available in e-mode, you are accustomed to more. It's about the expectation people have of such a car. Especially if it's an (expensive) Audi.
Thirdly, this is the maximum power available. So most of the time you'll have less than 20 kW available.
Lastly, many of the larger cities have highways, or 70/80 kph semi-highways wihin their boundaries and you frequently use them for city driving. If you want to merge onto such a highway, you'll definitely need more than 20 kW. Driving 100 km (the claimed electric range) without encountering such a road is difficult. What is then the point of a 100 km electric range if you have hardly any chance of ever completing it in e-mode?
Yes, you can get by with 20 kW in inner cities, but that's only in theory. Don't project your own ideas onto other people: "if it's enough for me, it should be enough for them". Think more practical. Not everybody is like you. People are definitely not going to be thrilled by a 20 kW e-motor.
Posted by: Anne | 06 October 2008 at 01:47 AM
Anne, climbing a 10% grade is a rather extreme case, and a car in city traffic could do that under electric power with oomph to spare.
Acceleration and high speed are two things where the electric system alone wouldn't be up to people's expectations. But it isn't alone; it's part of a PHEV system, and the engine is always there. This gives the driver a choice:
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 07 October 2008 at 08:29 PM