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2018 Audi A8 Will Come Standard With 48V Mild Hybrid System

Not surprisingly, Audi is throwing all its latest tech into the A8 project. The all-new generation of the car will use a 48V electric system, just like the SQ7, but equipped as standard on all models.
2018 Audi A8 Will Come Standard With 48V Mild Hybrid System 7 photos
Photo: CarPix
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The goal is not to stiffen some cool antiroll bars, though that might happen too. No, the 48-volt setup is there to facilitate sipping fuel. There's going to be a big lithium battery that's charged by a belt-driven alternator that regenerates energy during braking.

That energy can, in turn, be dumped back to the wheels in the form of 12 kilowatts and 60 Newton meters of torque. These systems are said to reduce fuel consumption by 0.7 liters per 100 km on both a TFSI and TDI V6, and will rapidly trickle down to the next generation of the A6 and A7.

All cars with the 48V system will also have a separate 12-volt circuit to power the lights, air conditioning, and ECU.

In his interview with Autonews, Alexander Kruse, Audi's head of mild hybrid systems, also revealed that the A8 would be able to cast with the engine shut off for up to 45 seconds at speeds of 30km/h to 160km/h (19mph to 99mph).

The car will look what's ahead and also determine congestion using navigation routes to switch between free coasting and brake energy recovery. Apart from that, the A8 will also boast level 3 autonomous driving.

The official debut scheduled for the Audi Summit in Barcelona on July 11, 2017, will also reveal a new chassis that's 24% stiffer. While maintaining its current proportions, the A will get about 1.1-inches (28 millimeters) in legroom in the back.

And just because all models will have mild hybrid setups doesn't mean there won't be any plug-ins. The W12 and V8 monsters will be accompanied by a China-only 2.0-liter TFSI-electric model. Audi says that by 2025, about 30% of its sales will be either pure electric or hybrid.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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