Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 153

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The concept vehicle is powered by a parallel hybrid drive with plug-in technology, supported by a
second electric motor on the rear axle. Thanks to the electric motors on the front and rear axles,
the Audi e-tron quattro can travel purely electrically at speeds of up to 100 km/h and for up to
40 kilometers. At higher speeds or over longer distances, a 2.0 TFSI engine developing 155 kW
(211 hp) gradually takes over.
AUDI E-TRON QUATTRO DRIVE
Power electronics
Transmission High-voltage lines
Combustion engine
Electric motor/alternator
Battery
Electric
rear-axle final drive
Audi balanced mobility
The Audi Group seeks to play a leading role within the context of the automotive industry’s drive
to use natural resources sustainably. The Audi balanced mobility concept was launched against
this backdrop, with the aim of achieving overall CO₂-neutral mobility. In an initial move, the
Company plans to invest in an offshore wind farm. The plan is to use the wind power this facility
generates for the future production and operation of Audi e-tron models.
The renewable power can also be used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis. On the one hand,
hydrogen serves as an energy source for fuel-cell vehicles, and on the other hand it can be reacted
with carbon dioxide to produce methane. For the manufacture of this synthetic natural gas –
or Audi “e-gas” – an industrial-scale e-gas plant in North Germany is being built in a venture
involving renowned project partners. The plant will use surplus wind power to produce e-gas,
which can then be used in gas-powered vehicles such as the Audi A3 TCNG, scheduled for launch
in 2013. The e-gas can also be stored in the public gas distribution network or put to other uses.
The Audi e-gas project thus provides a fitting solution to the problem that generating power from
the wind and sun is dependent on natural fluctuations. And by using the existing natural gas
infrastructure, surplus wind and solar power can now be stored.
AUDI AG receives “Best Innovator” award
In June 2011, AUDI AG won the Automobile OEM category of the “Best Innovator” award, which
is sponsored jointly by the business journal WirtschaftsWoche and the management consultants
A.T. Kearney (WirtschaftsWoche, issue 24/2011, p. 64 ff.). The competition was held for the
seventh time in the past fiscal year. AUDI AG impressed the high-ranking jury above all with its
systematic approach to innovation management, which nevertheless preserves ample leeway for
spontaneity.