Audi, the luxury car unit of the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG), has announced plans to make electric cars within the next ten years.
In a recent interview, Chairman Rupert Stadler said that he saw great opportunities for electric cars, and expects diesel and battery technology to dominate in the next five to ten years, saying, “By then we will offer cars without exhaust emissions.”
When challenged with the idea that Audi was lagging behind rival German car giants Mercedes and BMW in the development of Li-Ion battery technology, Stadler stated that their research capacities were larger than those of domestic rivals. Without elaborating, he also said, “electric cars offer great opportunities, which we have already seized on.”
This mention of a superior research budget may indicate that Audi intends to throw money at developing a more lightweight, longer range battery than is currently available. Perhaps the most likely showcase for an all-electric vehicle might be a variant of the Audi A1 Metroproject Quattro concept showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show last October. This gas-electric hybrid boasted acceleration of 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
It’s hard to know exactly what to make of Audi’s strategy. Perhaps they’re planning some big alternative power train project that they’re reluctant to talk about, or else the announcement was calculated to be deliberately vague in an effort to wrong foot competitors, or dupe the press (us) into talking about them without actually committing to anything. Either way, ten years is a long time in the auto industry, and it’s possible that the relentless rise in oil prices may force them to show their hand sooner than that.
Via Reuters
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written by PlanetThoughts, May 12, 2008
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written by bigspud, May 12, 2008
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written by kornkob, May 12, 2008
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written by EV, May 13, 2008
Tesla is releasing a car currently (still under 100,000 units per year) that drives over 200 miles in mixed usage on one charge... the car performs very well, and that miles/charge seems like enough efficiency to be commercially viable!
Because the Tesla Roadster costs $100,000 and the batteries are only good for a few years at best? Teslas cars are currently for enthusiasts, not those of us who plan on keeping a car for 12 years and do not want to spend several years pay on a car.
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written by woohoo, May 14, 2008
Because the Tesla Roadster costs $100,000 and the batteries are only good for a few years at best? Teslas cars are currently for enthusiasts, not those of us who plan on keeping a car for 12 years and do not want to spend several years pay on a car.
How about the Aptera? Aptera's version is under $30,000. And it gets close to 300 miles.
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written by EV, May 15, 2008
Aptera's vehicles are classified as Motorcycles, not cars. It will probably depend on state to state if you have to get a modification to your license to drive it. They only list the statutes for California on their website. Also, the car is to debut at under $30k.
The Bad:
They do not list how long the batteries will last, nor do they yet know. The vehicle is not in production yet. There is apparently problems in cold weather to be worked out. Battery charging for the all electric is going to be several hours. Their hybrid is a parallel hybrid, not a series (electric drive with a generator and batteries, think Chevy Volt)
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"the car performs very well..."
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