Plug-in hybrid points to an electric future for China.
The new A6 L is Audi's best-selling model in China, where sales are remarkably strong for the Ingolstadt company. In fact, in the first quarter of 2012, Audi sold 90,063 models in China and Hong Kong—that represents a year-on-year increase of 40 percent.
Now, at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, Audi has taken the wraps off the A6 L e-tron Concept, a car built to study the future of electric mobility in China. It's a plug-in parallel hybrid version of Audi's popular business sedan, built at the Changchun plant as a joint venture with FAW. Audi says the A6 e-tron Concept is tailored specifically for China's rapidly growing cities, where it can be driven solely on electric power for 80 kilometers (49.7 miles).
A 2.0-liter TFSI 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 211 bhp is found underhood, joined by an electric motor with 95 hp. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is mounted in the rear of this A6 e-tron, in a spot that Audi says is safe in the event of a collision. As in hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, a central control module determines the best operating mode for this A6 e-tron, always with an eye toward maximized driving range. Put another way, the A6 e-tron can operate purely with its internal combustion engine, purely with its electric motor, or with any combination of the two. As is ubiquitous in hybrids, electrical energy is recovered in braking, and it used at times to boost acceleration.
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