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Audi says new 48 volt micro-hybrid system improves fuel economy, paves way for electrification

Most cars use a 12-volt system to power their electrical components. But, with more and more electric bits and bobs being added to new vehicles, a dozen volts is looking a bit weak these days. In fact, Audi says that standard 12-volt systems are being stretched "to their very limits." Enter 48 volts. If used in a car that gets 40 mpg, that would translate to around 43.5 mpg. Audi is testing a supplemental 48-volt electric system in two prototype vehicles – modified mild-hybrid versions of the A6 TDI and the RS 5 TDI – in order to add in more electric technology (an electric compressor, for example, to improve acceleration) and "convenience systems for dynamic chassis control." Audi says it has more applications in the pipeline, but the overall gist is that the German automaker sees 48 volts as an "important building block in electrification strategy." As you can see in the picture above (click to enlarge), the RS 5 TDI concept uses a li-ion battery installed in the back of the car and an alternator to provide 48 volts when the engine is off. Audi says that the 48-volt system can save up to 0.4 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. To put that into US numbers, if used in a car that gets 40 miles per gallon today, that would translate into a bump up to around 43.5 mpg. The Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) is also working on a 48-volt system to improve fuel economy and we've got a deep dive of Audi's electric turbocharger here. Even more powerful and efficient – the new 48-volt technology from Audi Important building block in electrification strategy More voltage and more power for new technologies Scalable platform concept suitable for wide-ranging uses Ingolstadt, August 25, 2014 – Audi is to upgrade part of its vehicle electrical system from twelve to 48 volts. The move represents another technical building block for facilitating the integration of new automotive technologies while increasing the power and efficiency of its cars. "We are using the full bandwidth of electrification in our drive principles strategy. Running part of the vehicle electrical system at 48 volts plays a central role in this," commented Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi. "It enables us to make more energy available.

Audi revising own history in light of 'shocking' study of Nazi-era activities

Daimler opened up its archives for research into its Nazi affiliations for one book published in 1990 and another in 1998. The Quandt family behind BMW had its public catharsis in 2007. The ties between the National Socialists and the Porsche and Piech families have almost rendered the Volkswagen Beetle some kind of cult tchotchke of the Third Reich. And it's not just automakers called in for cleansing: Deutsche Bank credit helped build Auschwitz, Hugo Boss made Nazi uniforms, patriarch of food and frozen pizza giant Dr. Oetker volunteered for the Waffen-SS. As one historian said, for any business that wanted to stay in business during the war, "no company was really clean. Everyone had to resort to slave labor when their own workers were fighting at the front."
Audi is the latest to go public with findings from an in-depth study of the Nazi-affiliated past of Auto Union, its predecessor company, and the "Father of Auto Union" Dr. Richard Bruhn, the man who headed it pre- and post-war. Commissioned by Audi, written by Audi's history department head Martin Kukowski and University of Chemnitz historian Rudolf Boch, its findings are just as severe as those already heard so often over the past 20 years. Among other discoveries, the study found that not only did Brun manage the use of more than 3,700 forced labor camp workers from seven SS-run camps, 16,500 forced laborers that didn't live in camps worked in two more factories; Bruhn wanted even more laborers but couldn't get them because of the battlefield situation; and that Auto Union had "moral responsibility" for roughly 4,500 workers killed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. The study found that disabled workers were routinely sent to the camp and executed there.
Audi works council head Peter Mosch said, "I'm very shocked by the scale of the involvement of the former Auto Union leadership in the system of forced and slave labor. I was not aware of the extent." The company is figuring out how it will respond to the findings, so far working on changing the online profile of Dr. Bruhn on its history pages on Audi sites around the world, and considering stripping Brun's name from the street that bears it and from company offerings like pension plans. If you can read German or can work Google Translate, Wirtschaftswoche has a long piece on the study and its conclusions.

Le Mans champion Allan McNish retires from LMP1 racing

Having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, the American Le Mans Series title another three times and, most recently, the FIA World Endurance Championship, Allan McNish doesn't have much left to prove. Which is why he's retiring, ending this stage of his 33-year driving career on a high note.
In a statement just released by McNish himself and his team at Audi, the Scotsman said "I've had a fantastically successful time with Audi and feel it's the right time to step back from Le Mans sports-prototype racing and to look at other opportunities."
Just what those other opportunities might be is another matter. He's raced in DTM, Formula One and the International Formula 3000 series, where he won two races in 1990. McNish, 44, is also part of the BBC Radio's F1 commentary team, serves as president of the Scottish Motor Racing Club and is often called upon by the FIA to act as a grand prix race steward. Audi says he'll continue to be part of the team, just not in the driver's seat. Given his success in endurance racing, he's surely got a wide variety of opportunities to pursue, and we're looking forward to seeing where he lands.