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Written by Dan Carney
Audi revealed plans for a production battery EV sportcrossover in 2018 when it rolled out the e-tron quattro concept at the2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The sleek SUV carries a large 95 kW h lithium-ion batterypack and a trio of electric motors that have a continuous maximum output of320 kW and a temporary maximum of 370 kW h and more than 800 N m (590 lb ft) of torque. Though it was termed a concept, "It is not a show car," saidRalf-Gerhard Willner, head of vehicle concepts for Audi. "It is showing thedirection for a series production car." To that end, and to offset the considerable cost of itsabundant advanced technology, Audi used as many existing mainstream productioncomponents as possible, he said. "It was a goal for the team to use existingcomponents to make it feasible from a finance standpoint." The concept andeventual production model feature the second iteration of company"s MQBplatform for longitudinal drivetrains, he said. This "evo" MQB trimmed away 110kg (243 lb) as it is applied to the latest A4 model, he said. "A 95-kW h battery is quiteheavy, so we had an eye to reduce the weight of the body," said Willner. "To dothat, you must know all the components you can size down a little bit." Audi says the e-tron"s driving range is more than 500 km (311 mi) ona charge in highway driving. The vehicle"s top speed is limited to 210 km/h (130 mph), andit accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a stop in just 4.6 s, though testingeither of those capabilities will obviously reduce the driving range. Theaggressiveness of battery regeneration is driver-selectable though the S and Dpositions of the shifter and through the Audi drive select system. A torque control management system sends power to the singlefront motor and two rear motors to vector thrust for maximum dynamic balanceand stability. Additionally, it has all-wheel steering to provide both improvedstability and maneuverability as needed. The hefty battery pack is integrated into the floor beneaththe passenger compartment to lower the vehicle"s center of gravity andcentralize its center of mass. Audi assembles its own battery packs from cellsthat are manufactured in Europe, but the company declined to identify thebattery supplier. Willner did identify the battery chemistry as conventionallithium-ion, though of a next-generation design that is not yet commerciallyavailable. The concept has a dual DC and AC charging system that letsdrivers use existing DC chargers or Audi"s proposed inductive AC system. It isequipped with the company"s self-piloted parking system seen previously thatcan automatically dock the car atop the inducting charging mat. In addition to passive measures of sleek, elongated bodyworkand a tray enclosing the underbody, the e-tron takes active steps to minimizedrag at highway speeds, including an automatically lowering air suspension andmovable flaps on the hood, ahead of the wheels, and at the rear to produce a coefficientof drag of just 0.25. That is substantially lower than the class norm of morethan 0.30. Inside, the e-tron concept is a four-seater, with a curvedvirtual cockpit centered on the driver. The digital instrument cluster isflanked on both sides by organic LED touch screen displays. The left display controls the Audi"s automatic pilot systemand its advanced Matrix Laser OLED forward lighting system, while the righthandles navigation and infotainment. Thecar"s infotainment system is supplied Internet connectivity via a built-in LTEcellular module. Audi hasn"t mentioned the e-tron"s planned production badging,but rumors at the show hinted at the name Q6 to slot it between the existingmodels.
Date: 21-Sep-2015 11:18 EDT
More of this article on the SAE International website
ID: 1373
Audi revealed plans for a production battery EV sportcrossover in 2018 when it rolled out the e-tron quattro concept at the2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The sleek SUV carries a large 95 kW h lithium-ion batterypack and a trio of electric motors that have a continuous maximum output of320 kW and a temporary maximum of 370 kW h and more than 800 N m (590 lb ft) of torque. Though it was termed a concept, "It is not a show car," saidRalf-Gerhard Willner, head of vehicle concepts for Audi. "It is showing thedirection for a series production car." To that end, and to offset the considerable cost of itsabundant advanced technology, Audi used as many existing mainstream productioncomponents as possible, he said. "It was a goal for the team to use existingcomponents to make it feasible from a finance standpoint." The concept andeventual production model feature the second iteration of company"s MQBplatform for longitudinal drivetrains, he said. This "evo" MQB trimmed away 110kg (243 lb) as it is applied to the latest A4 model, he said. "A 95-kW h battery is quiteheavy, so we had an eye to reduce the weight of the body," said Willner. "To dothat, you must know all the components you can size down a little bit." Audi says the e-tron"s driving range is more than 500 km (311 mi) ona charge in highway driving. The vehicle"s top speed is limited to 210 km/h (130 mph), andit accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a stop in just 4.6 s, though testingeither of those capabilities will obviously reduce the driving range. Theaggressiveness of battery regeneration is driver-selectable though the S and Dpositions of the shifter and through the Audi drive select system. A torque control management system sends power to the singlefront motor and two rear motors to vector thrust for maximum dynamic balanceand stability. Additionally, it has all-wheel steering to provide both improvedstability and maneuverability as needed. The hefty battery pack is integrated into the floor beneaththe passenger compartment to lower the vehicle"s center of gravity andcentralize its center of mass. Audi assembles its own battery packs from cellsthat are manufactured in Europe, but the company declined to identify thebattery supplier. Willner did identify the battery chemistry as conventionallithium-ion, though of a next-generation design that is not yet commerciallyavailable. The concept has a dual DC and AC charging system that letsdrivers use existing DC chargers or Audi"s proposed inductive AC system. It isequipped with the company"s self-piloted parking system seen previously thatcan automatically dock the car atop the inducting charging mat. In addition to passive measures of sleek, elongated bodyworkand a tray enclosing the underbody, the e-tron takes active steps to minimizedrag at highway speeds, including an automatically lowering air suspension andmovable flaps on the hood, ahead of the wheels, and at the rear to produce a coefficientof drag of just 0.25. That is substantially lower than the class norm of morethan 0.30. Inside, the e-tron concept is a four-seater, with a curvedvirtual cockpit centered on the driver. The digital instrument cluster isflanked on both sides by organic LED touch screen displays. The left display controls the Audi"s automatic pilot systemand its advanced Matrix Laser OLED forward lighting system, while the righthandles navigation and infotainment. Thecar"s infotainment system is supplied Internet connectivity via a built-in LTEcellular module. Audi hasn"t mentioned the e-tron"s planned production badging,but rumors at the show hinted at the name Q6 to slot it between the existingmodels.
Date: 21-Sep-2015 11:18 EDT
More of this article on the SAE International website
ID: 1373
