2014 - Audi R8 on 2040-cars

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Audi A3 Sportback e-tron gets top grades in European crash tests [w/video]

In simplistic terms, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid will go real far when it needs to go and stop when it needs to stop. The PHEV has now been certified to protect its occupants when they need to be protected. So there's not much more that you can ask from a vehicle. The model received a maximum five-star crash-test rating from the Euro NCAP group, receiving top marks for front, side and rear collisions. The Audi also received kudos for the "multi collision brake assist" feature, which automatically engages the brakes once the car's been in a crash so that it doesn't get into another one. The plug-in hybrid was already getting positive responses from prospective customers. Last month, Audi said it stepped up its production of the model at its German factory from 30 units a day to 50. The PHEV can travel up to 30 miles on electricity alone and another 550 miles on a full tank of gas. More impressively, it has a 157 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating, using the European driving cycle. Check out a video of the test and Audi's press release below and read our driving impressions here. Five stars for the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron from Euro NCAP Top marks in the front, side and rear collision categories The new Audi A3 Sportback e-tron also offers a high level of safety for children Special prize for Audi pre sense basic and multicollision brake assist system Ingolstadt, December 10, 2014 – The Euro NCAP consortium has awarded the new Audi A3 Sportback e-tron* the maximum five star rating for crash safety. This puts the first volume production plug in hybrid from Audi among the safest cars in its class. The test panel was impressed by the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron across the board: As a result the plug-in hybrid earned top marks in protecting adults and children in a front, side or rear collision. The model also passed tests of its pedestrian protection with flying colors. This year Euro NCAP additionally tested assistance systems for the first time. The A3 Sportback e-tron with Audi pre sense front and Audi active lane assist also fulfilled the stringent requirements in this category. The model received the special "Euro NCAP advanced" prize for its Audi pre sense basic passenger protection system as well as for the Audi multicollision brake assist system that comes as standard equipment. This function initiates braking automatically in case of an accident to reduce the risk of skidding and the danger of a subsequent collision.

Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro packs plug-in hydrogen powertrain

If you think a plug-in diesel hybrid is an expensive proposition, just wait until you hear details about the just-revealed Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro. The "H" in H-Tron, as you might guess, stands for hydrogen, so say hello to a new concept that combines a plug-in battery system with a hydrogen fuel cell. Yeah, exactly. Let's start with the numbers. On the plug-in side, the new H-Tron has an 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that can power the car for up to 31 miles on battery power. With electric motors on both axles – it's a Quattro, after all, but a through-the-road hybrid with electronic torque distribution management – the A7 H-Tron uses a hydrogen fuel cell and four (!) H2 tanks to offer about 62 miles per gallon equivalent. Audi says the overall fuel cell stack efficiency is "as high as 60 percent" while the electric motors operate at 95 percent efficiency. Efficiently turning all of that electricity into movement means the A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro has a total power output of 398.3 pound-feet of torque. The 4,299-pound concept can allegedly go from 0-62 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed of 112 mph. The car's total range is 311 miles. The A7 H-Tron is not the first plug-in hydrogen vehicle concept. That title goes to the Ford HySeries Edge. Mazda also considered putting a hydrogen range extender in the Mazda5 plug-in van. The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mi) in 7.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 km/h (111.8 mph). It covers over 500 kilometers (310.7 mi) on one tank of fuel – and its exhaust emits nothing more than a few drops of water: The A7 Sportback h-tron quattro, which Audi is unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2014, uses a powerful, sporty electric drive with a fuel cell as its energy source that operates in combination with a hybrid battery and an additional electric motor in the rear. The overall electrical system power of 170 kW is transferred to both the front and the rear wheels. This drive configuration makes the emission-free Audi A7 Sportback* a quattro through and through – a new departure in fuel cell cars. "The A7 Sportback h-tron quattro is a genuine Audi – at once sporty and efficient. Conceived as an e-quattro, its two electric motors drive all four wheels," explained Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi. "The h-tron concept car shows that we have mastered fuel cell technology.

Audi Q7 testing gives us clearer view of new look

Audi just announced its intentions to build the Q1 in 2016. By that time, the company will already have introduced the opposing bookend to that subcompact utility vehicle, the fullsize Q7. The last time we saw the next-gen Audi Q7 out testing, our spy shots were very low quality and didn't reveal much about the luxury SUV. This time around we're able to make out a few key elements about the Q7.
For starters, the unfinished headlights have a stylish, wave-like lighting element with a three-dimensional appearance, while the rear of the Q7 will definitely get a similar wraparound liftgate as the current model. Overall, this prototype looks to be about the same size as the existing Q7, so it will be interesting to see how Audi squeezes almost 800 pounds from the SUV's curb weight. The diet will surely help improve efficiency, and we also hear that Audi is considering a plug-in hybrid model in addition to the standard gas and diesel variants.
Riding on a shared platform with the next-gen Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and the upcoming Bentley Falcon SUV, the next Audi Q7 is expected to bow in late 2014 for the 2015 model year.