Headed for production
Of all the other alternative fuel vehicles at the proving grounds, the one garnering the most attention was the Audi Q7 Hybrid. Slated for release in Europe in 2008 - and possibly North America in 2009 - this SUV uses a parallel hybrid system (the most common form of hybrid) that meshes with the 3.6-litre V6 with little modification needed.
The gasoline engine develops 280 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, while the electric motor adds as much as 210 lb-ft of grunt under acceleration. That's plenty to get the big Q7 hustling down the road - a run from 0-100 km/h takes an estimated 7.6 seconds - and generating approximately 23% better fuel efficiency.
While the Q7 Hybrid will likely find a market with the types of customers who would also favour the Lexus RX 400h, it's debatable whether it has more of a future than the company's other alt-fuel offerings. In particular, questions over battery life and disposal have still not been answered with any degree of certainty. These issues, combined with the much higher cost of entry for hybrid buyers, serves to still cast doubt over how big a part of the alt-fuel market will be comprised of hybrids.
On the other hand, Audi looks set to further exploit one of their key strengths: diesel engines. Fresh off winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year in a row with the diesel-powered R10 racer, Audi is about to produce a fleet of cleaner-burning diesel engines (beginning in mid-2008 for Europe) that will eventually make it to these shores.
These new engines are essentially the existing Audi TDI (turbodiesel with direct injection) powerplants with modified injection and turbocharger systems, as well as two separate emissions treatment stages. The first stage sees the use of a sensor to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, while the second stage uses another sensor that injects a cleansing solution called AdBlue to the exhaust gases. Net effect: a cleaner-burning Audi diesel with close to 90% less nitrous oxide emissions.
These new diesel engines are so environmentally-friendly, they will meet the strict California emissions standards. This fact, combined with the pleasing characteristics of the modern diesel engine (excellent torque, reduced engine noise and reduced smell), bodes well for Audi's efforts to help popularize diesel technology in North America.
Of all the other alternative fuel vehicles at the proving grounds, the one garnering the most attention was the Audi Q7 Hybrid. Slated for release in Europe in 2008 - and possibly North America in 2009 - this SUV uses a parallel hybrid system (the most common form of hybrid) that meshes with the 3.6-litre V6 with little modification needed.
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The gasoline engine develops 280 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, while the electric motor adds as much as 210 lb-ft of grunt under acceleration. That's plenty to get the big Q7 hustling down the road - a run from 0-100 km/h takes an estimated 7.6 seconds - and generating approximately 23% better fuel efficiency.
While the Q7 Hybrid will likely find a market with the types of customers who would also favour the Lexus RX 400h, it's debatable whether it has more of a future than the company's other alt-fuel offerings. In particular, questions over battery life and disposal have still not been answered with any degree of certainty. These issues, combined with the much higher cost of entry for hybrid buyers, serves to still cast doubt over how big a part of the alt-fuel market will be comprised of hybrids.
On the other hand, Audi looks set to further exploit one of their key strengths: diesel engines. Fresh off winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year in a row with the diesel-powered R10 racer, Audi is about to produce a fleet of cleaner-burning diesel engines (beginning in mid-2008 for Europe) that will eventually make it to these shores.
These new engines are essentially the existing Audi TDI (turbodiesel with direct injection) powerplants with modified injection and turbocharger systems, as well as two separate emissions treatment stages. The first stage sees the use of a sensor to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, while the second stage uses another sensor that injects a cleansing solution called AdBlue to the exhaust gases. Net effect: a cleaner-burning Audi diesel with close to 90% less nitrous oxide emissions.
These new diesel engines are so environmentally-friendly, they will meet the strict California emissions standards. This fact, combined with the pleasing characteristics of the modern diesel engine (excellent torque, reduced engine noise and reduced smell), bodes well for Audi's efforts to help popularize diesel technology in North America.
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