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2015 Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron

A little more than a year ago, I drove an Audi A3 E-Tron prototype - an early concept electric vehicle built on the outgoing second-generation A3 platform. While I was impressed with the technology, its 3,800-pound weight, 10-second 0-60 time and 90-mile range will likely put it only mid-pack, at best, among its future competitive set. But Audi promised bigger and better things would come.
I didn't have to wait long. Immediately following the Los Angeles Auto Show, Audi asked me come drive its all-new successor built on the company's third-generation A3 chassis. Compared to last year's model, the new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) boasts a lighter curb weight, quicker acceleration and six times the range. Calling it improved is an understatement. Best of all, it's heading to production.
Technically speaking, the 2015 Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron is a parallel hybrid, meaning its electric motor is sandwiched between a combustion engine and an automatic transmission - either, or both, is capable of powering the front wheels. The gasoline-powered engine is a direct-injected and turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, rated at 150 horsepower. The transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A 75-kW electric motor sits between the two. Water is used to cool the gasoline engine, the electric motor and the battery pack - there are three independent closed loops.

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake showcar is a 124-MPGe hybrid E-Tron

The leaked images of the new Audi Allroad Shooting Brake that came out Friday showed us what the show car will look like, but it wasn't until the official press release came out today that we learned just how much E-Tron is hiding in its powertrain. Turns out, it's a lot. An 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery can power the car for over 31 miles. The Allroad Shooting Brake is powered by a hybrid (gas-electric) powertrain that can put out a total of 300 kW of power (479.42 pound feet of torque) and, under the right circumstances, get the fuel efficiency equivalent of 123.8 mpg US, Audi claims. The gas side is made up of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and then there's an electric motor on each axle. An 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery can power the car for over 31 miles on battery power alone. There are three drive modes (EV, Hybrid and Sport). This is also the first time Audi has put its Allroad and E-Tron "form languages" together, which means this E-Tron Quattro "is not limited to paved roads" and can handle "light off-road conditions." The two electric motors help bring the car from 0-62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds on up to a top speed of 155 mph. Audi has paid attention to shaving weight from the 3527-pound, four-seater, including making the wheels out of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and using an aluminum underbody panel. We described some of the concept's visual hints in the original post (Q1?), and now Audi says that the car contains "a host of visual elements of future sports car models" (TT?). We will get our first real glimpse of the Allroad Shooting Brake show car at the Detroit Auto Show early this week, so look for live pics then, especially of the interior that is supposed to be reminiscent of an airplane and a user interface panel that is said to work like a smart phone. In the new press release, Audi's Ulrich Hackenberg said the Allroad Shooting Brake represents, "a concrete look into the near future," and we're totally fine with that. Crossover in a compact package: The Audi allroad shooting brake show car Crossover concept car is highly functional for recreational sports Powerful and efficient hybrid drive features two electric motors Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg: "A concrete look into the near future." Sporty, compact and versatile: It is with these attributes that the Audi allroad shooting brake makes its debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

VW and partner SAIC start building $2.5B Audi plant in China

BEIJING — Volkswagen AG's China joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp has started building a $2.5 billion new energy vehicle (NEV) plant in Shanghai, which will make VW's luxury Audi brand cars, a possible first for the venture. The new plant is a key step for Audi to diversify production of its cars in the world's largest car market from its long-standing local partner, China FAW Group Corp. This shift has been delayed amid resistance from local dealers. SAIC Volkswagen said the new plant would have an annual capacity to make 300,000 cars and begin production from 2020. Audi sold 481,387 vehicles in China from January to September this year. The announcement comes the same week Tesla secured a Shanghai location for a Gigafactory battery plant to serve the Chinese market. Audi unveiled the plan to bolster ties with SAIC in late 2016. Earlier this year, the Germany luxury carmaker bought a 1 percent stake in the SAIC Volkswagen venture, paving the way for the joint venture to produce and sell Audi cars. Volkswagen currently gets a larger proportion of the proceeds from the 50-50 tie-up with SAIC than from its 40 percent stake in the venture with FAW. SAIC Volkswagen said in a statement on Friday the plant would cost 17 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) and would make VW and Skoda models as well as Audi cars. It will help VW tap China's fast-growing market for NEVs, a category comprising electric battery cars and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. ($1 = 6.9314 Chinese yuan renminbi) Reporting by Yilei Sun and Adam JourdanRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Green Plants/Manufacturing Audi Volkswagen Skoda Electric Hybrid