Audi’s planning plug-in assault

At least four plug-in hybrid models will arrive before 2017 to spearhead Audi’s full-court press on BMW’s i3.

Led by the A3 e-tron which will launch across Europe in July and will arrive here as Audi's first electrified vehicle next year, Ingolstadt's aggressive plug-in hybrid strategy will also include PHEV versions of the Q7, A8 and, for China, the A6.

The Volkswagen Group’s premium brand is betting that its plug-in hybrid technology in conventional bodies and interiors will be enough to counter the more radical electric and range-extender path chosen by BMW with the i3.

“People criticised me and even laughed at me when I refused to take Audi into electric cars,” Audi Chairman, Professor Rupert Stadler, admitted. “But with the A3 Sportback e-tron, you can see why we’ve chosen this route.

“More than 80 per cent of all car trips cover less than 50km and that’s why we’ve given the A3 e-tron 50km of pure electric range, but you have a conventional 1.4-litre TFSI engine to call on when the battery is flat.”

Professor Stadler, who oversaw the axing of the R8 e-tron electric sports car, admitted that while Audi continued to research pure electric cars, its production focus was solidly on plug-in hybrids.

“We strongly believe in plug-in hybrids and we will add a new model each year, beginning with the Q7 next year, followed by the A6 long-wheelbase sedan for China and the A8 around the world,” he told journalists at the A3 Sportback e-tron launch.

“Plug-in hybrids are electric vehicles for everyday driving, which is exactly what our customers are asking for.”

While Professor Stadler’s company is taking a big bet on plug-in hybrids, it’s not as big a bet as BMW is making with electric cars, largely because the A3 Sportback e-tron is built on the same production line as the standard model range, which gives it built-in volume flexibility.

“Plug-in hybrids could account for 10 per cent to 20 per cent or even 40 per cent of the two million units we plan to build by 2020. It will be our customers who decide the volume.

“Plug-in hybrids are fully integrated into our platforms and production process, so we are beginning with the A3 e-tron in Germany, but the same technology could be applied to the production lines we have in Mexico and with our joint-venture in China,” he said.

While local prices haven’t been announced, Audi plans to sell the A3 Sportback e-tron for 37,900 euros in its home market of Germany, which is around €15,000 more than the base, petrol-powered A3 or around €5000 more than the stronger diesel A3 models.

Only 100 dealerships across Germany will sell the A3 Sportback e-tron, with the number limited to those with free fast-charging stations and qualifications in dealing with high-voltage power.

With a 110 kW 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor sharing under-bonnet space with a 75kW electric motor, the A3 Sportback e-tron can generate 150kW of system power. Its strong point is around-town torque, with the electric motor capable of instantly generating 330Nm, while the petrol engine waits only until 1600rpm to deliver its peak of 250Nm.

It pays a price in weight for combining the two powerplants, weighing 1540kg, or around 300kg more than the standard petrol model. It will still reach 60km/h in 4.9 seconds, hit 100km/h in 7.6 seconds and reach a 222km/h top speed. It is also capable of running at 130km/h in its pure electric mode.

Nevertheless, the A3 Sportback e-tron will deliver either zero emissions as an electric car, 1.5L/100km on the NEDC cycle as a hybrid (with 35g/km of CO2) or 4.5L/100km without battery power.

Audi says the A3 Sportback e-tron will recharge its 8.8kWh battery in less than four hours from a 200-volt socket, or just over two hours on an industrial connection.