2012 Audi A4 on 2040-cars

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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.

2016 Audi S6 Quick Spin [w/video]

Back in my salad days, when I was rocking a the greatest Civic Si of all time, the occasional pair of leather pants, and a yen for malt liquor and grass (both of which quickly put an end to the leather pants), a car like the 2016 Audi S6 would've made my head explode. "What's that?" I might have asked. "A roomy four-seat Audi with more than 400 horsepower and all-wheel drive, that looks like it was sculpted by Ralph McQuarrie? Pushing 30 mpg and under five seconds to 60 miles per hour? The hell you say." And that's even before Future Me showed Skinny Me an interior full of carbon fiber and aluminum, God's own quilted-leather sport buckets, and a 'radio' that would've made my Dreamcast look like an Atari 6400. (If you haven't picked up on the vibe yet, I was kind of a weird nerd in the late '90s.) Gentlemen, we live in the future; I just drove a mid-cycle-refresh Audi that proves it. Driving Notes The 4.0-liter, turbocharged V8 is tailor-made for smoothly pulling around anything less-well-endowed than the M5/E63/CTS-V set. Now up to 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque (versus the 420 hp and 406 lb-ft of last year's model), there's enough pull in the easily accessible powerband to satisfy all but lunatic drivers. It doesn't feel staggeringly fast, but that's only because 500 horsepower has become so commonplace in the new uber sedan game. It's quick enough. Remember when 250 hp was a crazy number? The car sounds like it has a V8, too. That may seem obvious, but in Generation Direct Injection things tend to get a bit clattery. You'll get some of that if you open the hood with the engine running (as I did in one of the Short Cuts above), but none where it counts: behind the wheel, windows up, stereo down, foot to the floor. That recipe delivers a hushed, baritone-sung song about understatement. Less subtle is the braking force when used at or near the top of its ability. After a moment of surprise and delight while decelerating in normal traffic, I went back-road hunting to test a few pseudo panic stops. Vented 15.7-inch front discs, with 14-inchers in the rear, provided a fast and steady haul-down from 70 miles per hour. Remember when wheels were 15 inches? I mean, you need those big brakes and potent engines to move and stop a car this hefty. With a base weight of 4,486 pounds – no doubt heavier still in my loaded, Dutchman-driven example – it still kind of blows my mind to see the 27-miles-per-gallon highway number.

Updated Audi R8 GT caught testing

When Audi introduced the refreshed 2014 R8, one of the first things we noticed was that the new R8 V10 Plus offers identical output to the outgoing R8 GT, suggesting that this limited-production model was either due to be cancelled or poised for a serious power increase. Fortunately, these spy shots have us suspecting that the latter is more likely.
Like the previous R8 GT, this new model will likely hit the gym, dropping some weight and packing more punch, but while that's all speculative, we do see that better handling is definitely in the cards. Aside from the aero-improving chin spoiler, fascia winglets and fixed rear wing, this R8 also has upgraded brakes with bigger calipers and what appear to be cross-drilled ceramic rotors. We hear output could be increased from the current 560 horsepower up closer to the 600-hp range, and laid to the pavement via Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It also very likely that Audi will keep production numbers for a 2014 R8 GT rather low, with the outgoing model limited to just 333 units globally.