The perfect balance. A promise that sounds appealing, but is rarely delivered in practice. Choosing one advantage usually means sacrificing another – a compromise most of us have come to accept in life. But in the case of plug-in hybrids, that trade-off simply doesn’t apply.
By combining the smooth refinement of electric-only power for everyday journeys with the go-anywhere flexibility of a petrol engine, plug-in hybrids provide the perfect bridge for drivers wanting to take their first step towards electrification without leaping straight to a fully electric car.
It’s a formula that has proved so popular in recent years that there are now dozens of plug-in hybrids on the market, from compact city hatchbacks to seven-seat people haulers and everything in between. So, the question is, who has perfected this no-compromise formula? In our opinion, that would be Audi.
Audi’s new, state-of-the-art e-hybrid technology embodies the brand’s iconic Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy, delivering some of the best electric-only ranges on the market, along with silky-smooth refinement, pulse-raising performance and steadfast quattro grip. Intrigued? Read on to find out the ways Audi e-hybrid is changing the game for plug-in hybrids.
Learn more about Audi e-hybrid
Impressive electric-only range
The ability to travel short distances on pure electric power is one of the biggest perks of plug-in hybrid technology; it’s smooth, quiet and helps keep your weekly fuel costs down. Only, in the case of Audi e-hybrid, the distances you can travel on electric power aren’t all that short at all.
That’s all thanks to Audi’s cleverly engineered battery architecture. At the heart of each Audi e-hybrid model sits a high-voltage lithium-ion battery that punches well above its weight, combining high energy density cells with a compact, modular cell-pack design, all controlled via an intelligent energy management system and supplemented by regenerative braking that recaptures energy for later use.
In laymen’s terms, this means Audi has found a way to cram more usable energy into less space, keeping cabin and boot room uncompromised while extending the electric-only range. The result is, depending on which Audi e-hybrid model you choose, you can travel up to 57-88 miles (WLTP)[1] on electric power.
To put this into real-world context, the average drive to and from work in the UK is around 20 miles a day. This means you’ll be able to complete almost 80% of your weekly commute without ever having to engage the petrol engine – lowering running costs and ensuring zero tailpipe emissions.
Rapid charging
Another area where Audi e-hybrid really moves the needle is charging. Traditionally, plug-in hybrids have been limited in their rapid charging capabilities by their smaller batteries, typically only accepting AC charging up to 11kW – the sort of power you’d expect from a home wallbox or workplace charger. That usually translates to a full charge in around two and a half hours. Perfectly usable for everyday driving – but what if you want the ability to top up on the go?
Thanks to carefully optimised battery cell chemistry, thermal management and high-voltage architecture, select models in Audi’s plug-in hybrid range – including the A3 TFSI e and Q3 e-hybrid – can now accept DC rapid charging of up to 50kW, allowing the battery to be replenished from 10% to 80% in as little as 29-30 minutes[2] – a benefit usually reserved for fully electric cars.
