Audi is phasing out electric vehicles in favor of hybrids. Free Technical Library News

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Audi is phasing out electric vehicles in favor of hybrids

27.07.2014

Audi does not plan to actively compete in the all-electric car market. The automaker sees the highest prospects in hybrid vehicles equipped with batteries that can be charged from the mains.

Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of directors of the German brand, spoke about Audi's plans for green cars in an interview with What Car? “We have tested electric vehicles, but it has always been clear to us that from a consumer point of view, rechargeable hybrids are better,” the top manager said in response to a journalist’s comment about how far Tesla and BMW have advanced in the electric car market.

Plug-in hybrids, which incorporate the best technologies from electric and conventional vehicles, are fuel-efficient, long-range and environmentally friendly, Stadler says.

“I spoke to Tesla owners and they said they would opt for a rechargeable Audi Q7 if it was available. We are confident that we are on the right path. Electric cars are just sitting idle in dealer showrooms and do nothing to improve the environment. We want to create cars that will sell,” said the head of Audi.

However, despite the manufacturer's skepticism towards vehicles driven only by an electric motor, such a car will still appear in the assortment of the German company. It will be the Audi R8 e-tron supercar, which is scheduled for European sales in 2015. On a single battery charge, the sports coupe can travel up to 450 km, while the maximum range of the flagship version of the Tesla Model S is declared at 502 km. Reuters previously reported that Audi is preparing several powerful electric sedans and sport utility vehicles. Rupert Stadler's words can be seen as a refutation of the news agency's data.

As explained by the chairman of the board of directors of Audi, plug-in hybrids can be created on the basis of traditional mass-produced cars with internal combustion engines using existing factory facilities. At the same time, "clean" electric vehicles using other power units require new production lines.

Stadler said plug-in hybrid versions of the Audi A6 and A8 sedans, as well as the Q7 crossover, will hit the market in the coming years. A similar modification was previously received by the Porsche Cayenne SUV. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class will also be hybrid.

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