- Audi will be the first manufacturer to meet future emissions limits
- High-volume model series to include ‘e’ models in future
- Integrated strategy cuts fuel consumption and emissions
From mid-2008 Audi will start series production of the cleanest diesel
technology in the world.
The new Audi TDI engines with their ultra-low emission system combine the
spontaneous performance and superior pulling power of today’s TDI power units
with outstanding fuel consumption figures and incomparably low emissions.
At the commencement of production, these new engines will already undercut
the most stringent future emissions limits that will be applied in Europe. The
strategy follows on from Audi’s introduction of vehicles fulfilling the Euro 4
standard and the forthcoming Euro 5 emissions limits years in advance, ensuring
the Ingolstadt brand once again assumes its role as the pioneer of
groundbreaking technology.
For Audi, the trendsetting TDI engine is a core element of its integrated
technology strategy.
“We intend to consolidate the status of the TDI as a highly efficient form of
propulsion on a sustained basis. And in future we will be launching ‘e’ model
variants designed for optimised fuel consumption in the high-volume model series
– either in TDI guise or as petrol models with state-of-the-art TFSI
technology,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the AUDI AG Board of Management.
Maximum efficiency is the recipe for success
“Audi is a trailblazer when it comes to diesel power. Since 1989, over 4.5
millions cars have rolled off the production line with the highly efficient TDI
technology under the bonnet,” said Michael Dick, Board Member for Technical
Development at AUDI AG.
“By equipping the R10 TDI sports prototype with this technology, we have just
won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel-powered car for the second time. The
Audi R8 racing cars with TFSI petrol direct injection took victory on five
occasions at Le Mans. We have been incorporating the key findings from the world
of motorsport directly into series-production development,” Mr Dick emphasised.
“By so doing, we are demonstrating how TDI and TFSI represent the ultimate in
efficiency, driving pleasure and economy both on the road and on the racetrack.”
The latest TDI generation sees Audi reaffirm its leadership claim in the
field of ultra-sophisticated diesel technology. When Audi started up series
production of the first passenger-car TDI engine in 1989, it marked a key
milestone in the advancement of automotive technology. Audi TDI soon became a
byword for supreme pulling power plus maximum efficiency and, what's more, the
pacemaker for the automotive industry as a whole. Even today, the spontaneous
performance combined with extremely low fuel consumption achieved by the
turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine remains unsurpassed by any other
drive system under realistic conditions.
Consistent strategy throughout all model series
With its latest generation of TDI engines, Audi is now out to prove that this
high-tech drive unit still has high potential and a guaranteed future. Thanks to
the optimised combustion process and the inclusion of an ultra-low emission
system, these models comply with the BIN 5 emissions requirements in the US as
well as meeting the toughest standards expected to come into force in Europe for
the foreseeable future.
Audi is kicking off its consistent TDI strategy for 2008 with the three-litre
V6 units in the Audi A4 and Audi Q7. Developing 176 kW and a supreme peak torque
of 500 Nm in the Audi A4 and 550 Nm in the Audi Q7, they boast the exceptional
dynamism combined with relatively low fuel consumption that is the hallmark of
any Audi model.
Additional models will follow in rapid succession, with Audi seeking to
extend the new technology to other vehicle classes and power categories by 2010.
Innovative technology for minimised emissions
This new technology from Audi takes the TDI principle of diesel direct
injection with turbocharging that has been proven a million times over and
launches it into a whole new dimension.
To do this, the diesel-engine development engineers at Audi have incorporated
a whole raft of innovative measures into the latest TDI generation. The new
piezoelectric common-rail system with an injection pressure of 2,000 bar, the
extremely efficient exhaust gas recirculation and optimised turbocharging bring
about a dramatic cut in untreated engine emissions. Another highlight is the
combustion chamber sensors that enable even more precise regulation of the
combustion processes in the engine – this is the first time that such sensors
have been fitted on any engine in the world, marking yet another Audi
innovation.
The status of the new-generation TDI as the definitive clean-running,
high-tech diesel is sealed by the downstream ultra-low emission system which
reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 percent. The ultra-low emission
system runs on a biodegradable additive in the form of a solution called
AdBlue.
Tiny doses of this solution are injected upstream from the DeNOx catalytic
converter. The ultra-low emission system as a whole comprises the catalytic
converter, the metering module, the AdBlue tank and heated lines, as well as an
extensive system of sensors. The comprehensive emission control system is
rounded off by the separate two-way catalytic converter and the highly
efficient, electronically controlled diesel particulate filter DPF.
Great potential for reducing fuel consumption all around the world
Thanks to their extremely low emission levels, these cutting-edge
direct-injection diesel engines can be put into service anywhere in the world,
even in the US state of California where the most stringent emissions limits are
enforced.
Compared to the average fleet consumption of petrol engines typically fitted
in the USA, the TDI offers a fuel saving of as much as 35 percent. As a
consequence, diesel technology can make a greater contribution to reducing the
consumption of fossil fuels and emissions of environmentally harmful greenhouse
gases than any other form of propulsion currently available.
Audi will be marketing these new models in the USA and in Europe from the
second half of 2008.
Extensive package for cutting CO2 emissions
Perfecting the TDI forms part of Audi's integrated technology strategy for
further reducing emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases from all models.
Apart from this, Audi is also counting on the tremendous potential held by
its sophisticated combustion engines. With their direct-injection technology and
turbochargers, the TFSI petrol engines – just like the TDI powerplants –
distinguish themselves even today by virtue of fuel consumption figures which
compare favourably to the competition.
As a result of this strategy, many Audi TDI and TFSI models will in future
deploy an innovative power management system which capitalises on coasting and
braking phases by recuperating and storing electrical power. Furthermore, a
next-generation start-stop system is currently being developed which lives up to
Audi’s standards of comfort.
High-volume model series to include ‘e’ models
Meticulous refinement throughout the entire vehicle also helps to
significantly reduce fuel consumption. Optimised rolling resistance, a further
reduction in air drag, specially tuned gear ratios, reduced friction and
redeveloped ancillary units are just a few of the devices used by Audi to
continuously enhance the efficiency of its entire model fleet.
With their high torque at low rev speeds, the turbocharged, direct-injection
petrol and diesel engines from Audi come with the ideal credentials for an
optimised gearbox set‑up that enables the vehicle to be driven with the engine
running at its most efficient.
The success of this strategy is exemplified by the ‘e’ models which
are already in series production. Take the current Audi A3 1.9 TDI e, for
instance, with its exemplary standardised fuel consumption of just 4.5
litres/100 km (overall) and CO2 emissions of 119 grams per kilometre.
In future, Audi will be enlarging its range of extra-efficient models
considerably and offering both TDI and TFSI versions of ‘e’ models in the
high-volume model series.
Hybrid systems for a number of models
Regardless of Audi’s advancements in efficient petrol and TDI engines, there
may also be a call for a hybrid system designed for individual markets and to
meet specific requirements.
Audi is developing hybrid systems for a number of model series and will put
them into series production wherever it sees this as producing significant
benefits for customers.
Audi unveiled the Audi Q7 hybrid study with an electric motor integrated into
the driveline between engine and gearbox back in 2005. Designed as a “full”
hybrid, as it is known, the Audi Q7 can run on either the petrol engine or the
electric motor alone or be powered by both in unison. During phases when the
vehicle is coasting or braking, kinetic energy is converted into electrical
energy, fed to the battery and then transformed into propulsive power as and
when required.
Integrated approach for better fuels
Fuels have a decisive role to play with regard to future reductions in CO2.
Apart from ethanol or natural gas, the primary energy sources in question here
are the next-generation fuels extracted synthetically from biomass or natural
gas. These customised fuels improve the combustion processes inside the engine,
resulting in a far healthier emissions balance sheet.
Of particular interest in this respect is SunFuel which is made from
biomass. When this fuel combusts, it releases no more carbon dioxide than the
plants that went into making it would have extracted from the atmosphere
beforehand.
The first facilities for industrial-scale production of these fuels are
currently being built. Audi is giving its full backing to this integrated
approach for better fuels under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group.
Alternative fuels
Alternative fuel types are gaining in importance around the world. Natural
gas, for example, is being used increasingly in a number of countries as a more
cost-effective energy source with a lower CO2 content. Here, Audi has devised a
concept for using CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). It is based on the TFSI
engine and retains such strengths as its mighty pulling power even when running
in natural-gas mode. The reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 20 percent in CNG
mode can therefore be enjoyed without having compromising on driving pleasure in
any way. Moreover, the ingenious packaging still allows full use to be made of
the luggage compartment and the vehicle's versatility despite the addition of
the natural gas tank.
The same applies to the ethanol drive system from Audi. It is designed
to run on fuel consisting of up to 85 percent ethanol – again without any
loss of dynamism or sportiness.
And yet, the CO2 output of such a drive system is around 75 percent lower
when running on second-generation bioethanol than when it is burning
conventional petroleum-based fuel.
The driver’s crucial influence
Audi will continue to demonstrate its renowned “Vorsprung durch Technik” to
the customer with all manner of technical solutions. However it is the drivers
themselves who bear a large part of the responsibility for driving in a manner
that burns less fuel.
Individual driving styles can heavily influence fuel consumption and, as a
result, emissions by as much as 30 percent – without any great difference in
speed or dynamism. Driver awareness and attentiveness are the decisive factors
here. Audi will additionally provide support systems that help drivers modify
their driving style for optimum fuel consumption. One example of such a driver
aid is the gearshift indicator that is already included as standard on the e
models and the new A5 and displays the optimum gear for the current driving
situation.
Extra efficiency at the push of a button
Audi has already unveiled a vehicle that gives drivers the option of
selecting an especially fuel-efficient mode for certain situations at the push
of a button with its Cross Coupé quattro study. In the“efficiency” mode,
the engine and the gearbox mapping are switched over to a more economical
operating program, the power draw of the main consumers and comfort modules is
restricted, and the cruise control system is programmed to give priority to low
fuel consumption. This mode is selected intentionally by the customer and is
accompanied by a slight reduction in both power and comfort. Apart from this, as
the navigation system's road data becomes even more precise in future it will be
used for particularly economical routing and vehicle guidance.
Summary
With the help of its clean-running diesel power units and integrated
efficiency strategy, Audi is set to hone the sporty and elegant character, the
sense of driving pleasure and the high-class quality of its models whilst
continuing to reduce their emissions.
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