Audi Tt 2002,1.8l 4-cyl. Turbo 5-speed Manual Red Coupe, Needs Work on 2040-cars

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Audi A3 E-Tron goes carbon neutral with German green electricity deal

Audi is proving that the fresh water flowing through the European Alps isn't just for bottling and drinking anymore. The German automaker struck a deal with Hamburg-based LichtBlick to offer buyers of the Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron a chance to get their electrical juice from all renewable-energy sources. That means all the power going into charging stations can come from hydroelectric power from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The nuts and bolts part of it is that users pay the equivalent of about $12.30 a month plus 37 cents per kilowatt hour for the service. And LichtBlick is indeed legit, as it has been certified by TUV Nord for having at least one third of its power come from hydroelectric plants that are were built less than six years ago. Audi is looking to boost sales from a model it unveiled at last year's Geneva Motor Show. The car pairs a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor that combines for 250 horsepower. Most importantly, the A3 E-Tron gets a combined fuel economy rating of 157 miles per gallon. And while that figure comes from the more generous European driving cycle, it's impressive nevertheless. Check out Audi's press release below and read the Autoblog Quick Spin here. Audi and LichtBlick offer green electricity CO2-neutral mobility with Audi energy TUV-certified green electricity from the energy provider LichtBlick As an accompaniment to the market launch of the A3 e tron*, Audi is offering customers in Germany green electricity – Audi energy. The cooperating partner is the Hamburg energy provider LichtBlick SE. With Audi energy, the A3 e tron is totally emission-free when operated electrically. The power all comes from renewable energy sources and is generated exclusively at hydro-electric power stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Audi A3 e-tron can be recharged when parked at your home with Audi energy. At the same time, the entire household is supplied with eco-friendly electric power. Audi energy is currently available for a basic monthly fee of EUR 8.95 and 26.76 cents per kilowatt-hour. The origin and quality of the green electricity are certified by TUV Nord. The "OK power" seal of quality also confirms the expansion of power generation from renewable sources: at least one-third of the electricity comes from hydro-electric power plants less than six years old. Providers of this green electricity do not make use of federal subsidies pursuant to the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG).

2014 Audi SQ5

It may be obvious at this point, but here in the United States, European manufacturer routinely give us the short end of the stick. Now, I'm not talking about models or brands that don't come here, like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class or the entire Renault line. No, instead, I'm referring to cars that are sold right here in the Land of the Free in one bodystyle, while Europe enjoys the same vehicle with a wider variety of configurations.
A prime example of this is the Audi S4/S5 line. In America, we can have the supercharged twins in two-door coupe, four-door sedan, and cabriolet body styles. Meanwhile, our Euroland cousins get the same trio of bodystyles, as well as the A5/S5 Sportback, a characterful 'four-door coupe,' and a versatile hauler, the S4 Avant. At first glance, Audi of America lacks a vehicle that can compete with the latter's blend of performance, versatility and subdued looks. So, what's an American with around $60,000 and an obsession with quick, conservative haulers to do? Well, he can buy an SQ5. (Though it bears mentioning, our US-spec SQ5 is vastly different than what's available to our European friends.)
The SQ5 has a huge number of things going for it that make it a viable alternative to a proper hot wagon, and foremost among them are its looks - this is a sleeper. Audi has thankfully decided not to molest the clean looks of the standard Q5 when penning the sportier model.

2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet

Drivers are either droptop people or they're not. As most usually aren't - at least as far as the willingness to buy one is concerned - all convertibles tend to remain strictly niche cars. Thus, automakers must ask a noticeably higher price for them.
The Audi S3 Cabriolet is about as niche as you can get in the open daylight of mainstream automaking. Of course, the S3 cab doesn't really need to sell in big volumes; it exists because it's an easy and not too costly bit of flair for the company. In the US, this model would probably base out at around $44,000 if it were to join our fleet, which is problematic, as I'll soon explore.
In what may be a sign that Audi is essentially okay with all this, it had me up to central Sweden to twist around on the snow and ice in the open S3. The grounds ended up offering precious little ice and snow, so I drove the two-door ragtop on dusty, thawing Scandinavian roads. This was a blessing really, since ice driving in a cabrio - even a Quattro one - doesn't really reveal much of anything about such a car in its typical day-to-day life.