2017 Audi Q7 3.0t Quattro Prestige on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Schaeffler 48V mild hybrid Audi TT, Georgia Power charging stations

Schaeffler will test a 48-volt mild hybrid system in the Audi TT. A lithium-ion battery powers an electrified rear axle, which supplements the power provided to the front wheels from the internal combustion engine. The system includes a belt-driven starter generator also running on 48 volts. The car has driver-selected Sport and Eco modes, the latter of which maximizes all-electric driving at low speeds for increased fuel economy. The rear axle can also support the front when more traction is needed. Sport mode wrings out every bit of performance from both the internal combustion and electric motors, with torque vectoring between the rear wheels offering extra stability. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from Schaeffler. A man has built a near-life-size replica of a Tesla Supercharger out of Legos. Robert Turner's ode to the charging station stands at 42.5 inches tall (which looks impressive standing next to a real Model S), and took over three months to build. Turner showcased his Lego Supercharger at the Brickworld Chicago Lego convention, and he goes into more detail about the painstaking process of forming his creation out of tiny plastic bricks in a video interview. See the Lego Supercharger and read more at The Brothers Brick. Georgia Power is opening 11 new EV charging stations around the state. The charging islands – which are located at various Georgia Power locations – offer DC fast charging with CHADeMo/SAE Combo plugs as well as Level 2 208/240-volt chargers. Customers can pay with either a Georgia Power or ChargePoint card. These first chargers are part of a larger plan by the utility to roll out 61 charging islands throughout Georgia by the end of 2016. See a list of locations and learn more in the press release below. Georgia Power opens 11 new EV charging islands First phase of statewide public charging infrastructure completed ATLANTA, Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that the company will open 11 new electric vehicle (EV) charging islands to the public on October 1. The new charging islands, located at Georgia Power properties across the state, mark the completion of the first phase of planned charging infrastructure being developed by the company which will include approximately 61 community charging islands for public use statewide by the end of 2016.

2016 Audi R8 E-Tron packs 456 hp and goes on sale this year

For the longest time, the Audi R8 E-Tron seemed like such a fantasy, we never really though it'd come to fruition. But it's here, in second-generation R8 form. It's really, actually, finally here. It looks like a electrified R8, too, with oversized, EV-spec wheels, and a revised front fascia that lends itself well to the more chiseled design of Audi's mid-engine coupe. Thanks to that nice shape and those air-slicing wheels, Audi has achieved a drag coefficient of 0.28 for the R8 E-Tron. The 92-kWh, T-shaped battery is actually integrated into the center tunnel behind the passenger compartment, so it helps with the car's weight distribution and center of gravity. The two electric motors are mounted at the rear. As for the specs, things look awesome: 456 horsepower, 679 pound-feet of torque, 0-62 in 3.9 seconds, top speed of either 130 or 155 miles per hour, a range of 280 miles and a charging time of less than two hours. And it's going on sale. Like, for real. Audi's press blast clearly states, "Upon customer request, the R8 E-Tron will be available for order in 2015 as an electrically powered sports car in supreme hand-built quality." Consider us stoked. Electrified: Audi R8 e-tron The second generation of the Audi R8 forms the basis for two more models. Audi has made major engineering developments in its high-performance electric sports car, the R8 e-tron. The latest evolution of the vehicle takes up the multimaterial Audi Space Frame from the new series-production model. The supporting structure was enhanced by a CFRP rear-section module comprising the luggage compartment. The walls of the CFRP luggage compartment well are corrugated. This way, in the event of a rear-end collision, more energy can be absorbed despite the reduced material weight. Thanks to targeted modifications to the outer shell and on the wheels, the Audi R8 e-tron achieves an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) value of 0.28. In terms of performance and range, the car enters entirely new dimensions. The large T-shaped battery is structurally integrated into the center tunnel and behind the occupant cell – optimally positioned in the car. It supports the dynamics of the R8 e-tron with its low center of gravity. Audi produces the high-voltage battery itself, for the first time based on a newly developed lithium-ion technology which was specially conceived for a purely electric vehicle drive.

Audi, Toyota land on MIT's list of 50 Most Disruptive Companies

MIT Technology Review, a magazine all about innovation, has announced its list of the 50 most disruptive companies in 2013, and both Audi and Toyota made the cut. While the term "most disruptive" may carry a negative connotation in most uses (especially in the classroom), the acknowledgement in this case is an accolade, signifying that the company is at the forefront of its industry. In a nutshell, a disruptive company is a business whose innovations force other businesses to alter their strategic direction.
Audi made the list for "pushing autonomous cars closer to fruition with a laser-scanning road detector that fits in a vehicle's front grille," and Toyota for "expanding its dominance of the hybrid-car market with its new plug-in version of the Prius." Click on the image above to be taken to the original graphic at MIT Technology Review, where clickable colored squares reveal information about each of the 50 winners, compiled from a variety of industries.