Don't Fall For Toyota Hype, Says Audi
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday July 19, 2008
HYBRID cars are over-hyped and not a solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a senior Audi engineer claims.
Dr Peter Gebhard, head of vehicle physics at Audi's Ingolstadt headquarters in Germany, says hybrid technology is little more than "hype" driven mainly by Toyota. He says the technology is proving only to be clean in traffic and providing far fewer emissions benefits once speeds rise above 50 to 60kmh."From a technical point of view, I don't think [hybrid technology] is the best concept," he says. "Diesel is the most fuel-efficient concept we have today."Dr Gebhard says diesel engines have a wider spread of torque and are becoming much cleaner.Audi has already displayed a petrol-electric hybrid version of its Q7 large soft-roader, an obvious candidate for an alternative drivetrain given its size and weight. It is expected to go on sale in the US in the next few years.It may well be the only Audi to fall for the hybrid hype. Gebhard says the maker plans to add more low-emission vehicles to its 26-model line-up - one for each model range - but will target one of the largest potential sources of fuel savings, the driver.He says the driver alone can be responsible for up to 30 per cent of a car's fuel use - more than the amount of fuel use saved through 10 years of Audi's engine development. He says by modifying a driver's behaviour, fuel use and vehicle emissions can fall. Audi plans to introduce strategies to help save fuel, such as advising drivers when to change gear.Audi's A3 1.9 TDIe model already has an arrow on the dash that tells a driver when to do this. Other fuel-saving measures on this A3, which averages 4.5L/100km, include low rolling resistance tyres, less weight, changed gear ratios and better aerodynamics. Audi's next generation of the gear change helper will include colours to give the driver an easier visual reference point for gear changes. Gebhard says another system under development advises the driver to wind up windows and switch on the air-conditioner at speeds above 80kmh to reduce drag, one of the main contributors to higher fuel use.Other driver aids include a screen that shows how much fuel parts of the car (such as the air-conditioning or fog lights) are using. Gebhard says next-generation satellite navigation systems will help save fuel by showing the rise and fall of land - giving drivers "economical" routes that avoid cities and hills, as well as provide fuel use linked to vehicle speeds.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald