Audi to unveil production version of A8 hybrid

Audi will unveil a production version of the A8 hybrid sedan at the Frankfurt auto show.

Audi said the A8 hybrid uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine for the first time in the A8 range. The 245hp 2.0-liter unit is combined with a 54hp electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery pack weighing 37kg.

The car has a range of 3km while driven on battery power alone.

Audi says the A8 hybrid will reach 0-100kph (62 mph) in 7.7 seconds and it has a top speed of 235kph (146mph). It uses 6.4 liters of fuel per 100km (44 UK mpg; 36.5 U.S. mpg) and has CO2 emissions of below 148g/km.

The hybrid has an aluminum construction, which Audi says will make it one of the lightest sedans in its category, weighing 231kg, about 40 percent lighter than a comparable steel construction.

The car will go on sale in Europe in late 2012.

2001 Audi A4 trouble starting

I have an Audi A4 2001. sometimes when I start it, after moving it, just cant start even though the radio lights came on. But after say one hour, when I try to Start the engine, it comes on.What could be the problem? And the brakes are hard to press.

Response:
Thus could be caused by a bad starter assembly. Best way to test this is to check for voltage at the starter when it will not start…. if it is getting voltage and not turning over, you guess it = replace the starter.

Brake pedal feel is firm, but brakes lack sufficient stopping power or fade
1.Check the operation of the brake booster and brake booster check valve. Replace worn or failed parts.
2.Check brake linings and brake surface areas for glazing and replace worn or damaged parts.
3.Check for seized hydraulic parts and linkages, and clean or replace as needed.
http://www.freeautomechanic.com/brakes.html

Electric Modles expected to make up 5% of Audi's Car Sales

Audi A1 e-tron

GENEVA – About 5 percent of Audi's new-car sales could be electric models in 10 years, the brand's technology chief Michael Dick said.

At the Geneva auto show last week, Audi unveiled the A1 e-tron, a nearly production-ready concept developed from its new A1 subcompact.

The A1 e-tron is the third electric car concept from the German brand. Audi unveiled larger e-tron cars at the Detroit auto show in January and in Frankfurt last year.

Audi has already said it will bring an e-tron sports car to market in 2012. A prototype will soon be tested and Audi will head into intensive trials with three to four vehicles by the end of the year, Dick said.

Audi's management board hasn't officially made a decision on the A1 e-tron, but it's very likely that the concept will be built, Dick told Automobilwoche. He expects a three-year development period.

The range of the 102-hp A1 e-tron is about 50km in city traffic. A small single rotor Wankel engine achieves an additional range of 200km. When needed, the engine charges the lithium ion battery like a generator.

Audi is developing components and systems that could also be used in smaller electric cars. For example, the battery cell is the same for both the A1 and a larger e-tron sports car concept.
Dick said that, with its e-tron range, about 5 percent of Audi car sales could be electric models by 2020.