Audi's next offering of hybrid technology is called MHEV-plus by the Germans. The idea is that gasoline cars will be able to drive up to 140 km/h with the engine off.
In 2023, Audi abandoned its goal of only building electric cars from 2026. And the Germans will build new gasoline cars with a new hybrid system they call MHEV-plus.
Technology will make it possible for petrol cars to drive up to 140 km/h with the petrol engine switched off. This is also called 'coasting'.
Hybrid cars combine an electric motor with an internal combustion engine. There are two types of hybrids: mild hybrid and full hybrid.
The difference is that a full hybrid can run solely on electricity, while a mild hybrid primarily uses the combustion engine and only uses the power from the electric motor to increase range.
The brand from Ingolstadt writes this in a press release .
Audi's MHEV-plus technology changes that dividing line by transforming a mild hybrid into a partial full hybrid. The system will first be available in the new A5 and Q5 models, which are built on Audi's Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform.
The technology enables the car to drive at up to 140 km/h without having the petrol engine running.
The MHEV-plus system consists of a 48-volt battery, a generator Audi calls PTG and a belt starter generator (BSG). These parts work together to make those precious drops of gasoline last a little longer.
According to the Germans, this should also make the cars emit less CO2.
The battery in the MHEV-plus system is a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery with a small capacity of just 1.7 kWh. The battery stores the energy collected when the car brakes and returns it when needed. Read: the driver's right foot .
Since the battery is relatively small, the weight gain is minimal compared to a plug-in hybrid. The MHEV-plus technology also improves comfort.
The belt starter generator ensures a quick and silent engine start, and the system allows for "coasting", where the car rolls freely without using the combustion engine.
Audi claims that the MHEV-plus technology can reduce fuel consumption to 0.74 liters per 100 km. This is equivalent to a petrol car with an official consumption of 135 km/l.
That said, Audi has enormous problems keeping track of the safety of the brand's current hybrid cars.
Most recently, the German car brand has had to recall pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars due to the risk of fire in the batteries.
At the same time, owners of plug-in hybrids are advised not to charge their cars at all. Read more about this here .
