Big Audit launch: production of plug-in hybrid models begins in Győr

According to the announcement from the Audi factory in Győr, the new Q3 and Q3 Sportback plug-in hybrid models will be manufactured at Audi Hungary in the future and will be added to its product portfolio as a high-efficiency plug-in hybrid model. As a result, cars with internal combustion engines, mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids will also be manufactured on the Hungarian site.

Our employees are enthusiastically preparing to produce our new models so that they can travel from Győr to the world in superior quality.

Alfons Dintner, chairman of the board of Audi Hungary, said of the announcement.

Thanks to the fact that the production of plug-in hybrids will start at the Audi factory in Győr, it can be said that

Models with such powertrains will also be manufactured at two HOME CAR FACTORIES.

Mercedes-Benz announced in July this year that it will also produce plug-in hybrid models, the CLA 250 e Coupé and the CLA 250 e Shooting Brake, at its Kecskemét plant. Suzuki’s Hungarian factory has already started the electrification process and series production of hybrid vehicles started in Esztergom last December. In January, the company estimated that this year it would exclusively produce hybrid cars for the European Union.

It should be noted that it is important to the Gy plantar plant in several respects that the Q3 and Q3 Spotback models are manufactured in a plug-in hybrid version in the future. On the one hand, it shows that the production line is indeed suitable for the production of other alternative propulsion vehicles in addition to those equipped with internal combustion engines after the necessary modifications. The next decision, even more far-reaching, would be for the management of Audi AG to bring the production of purely electric models to Győr, which the company had already promised in 2018.

On the other hand, the current announcement reaffirms that the management of the Volkswagen Group, and within that of Audi AG, is planning for the long term with the Győr plant. Previous proof of this was the national development and production of electric motors, and later the national production of the SUV models, the Audi Q3 and Audi Q3 Sportback mild hybrid versions. This is because the future lies in the manufacturing bases in Europe, the production of which is linked to electromobility in one or more ways.

Keep in mind that cars, partially or fully electric, will play an increasingly important role in the manufacturers’ sales fleet due to the stricter emission standards. Some players, including Audi, are trying to steer customers towards their alternative drive models to achieve lower average CO2 emissions from their fleet. Otherwise, they will soon be forced to pay substantial fines. Buyers, especially in wealthier European countries, are buying themselves an increasing proportion of plug-in rechargeable vehicles, whose market share among new cars sold has increased dramatically in the last 12 months.

Third, the fact that plug-in hybrid models can be manufactured in Győr is also very positive news for the subsequent utilization of the available production capacity. With the progressive relegation to second place of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, unnecessary capacities may arise in Győr, the reuse of which can contribute substantially to the start-up and start-up of electric car production.

The manufacturer promises brutal driving performance and modest consumption

The announcement also outlined key technical data, revealing that the 1.4-liter TFSI engine and electric motor, which together deliver 180 kW (245 hp) of system power and 400 Nm of torque across the system, are important powertrain components. for the two new models. Live. As a result, acceleration from zero to 100 km / h takes 7.3 seconds for the Q3 45 TFSI e and Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI e, and both models reach top speeds of 210 km / h.

Calculated according to the new European driving cycle, the consumption of the Q3 45 TFSI is 1.7 to 1.4 liters of fuel per 100 km, and the consumption of the Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI is the same.

However, there is some difference in energy consumption, the former consumes 16-14.4 kWh per 100 kilometers, while the latter has 15.9-14.6 kWh. The total autonomy of both models is approximately 710 kilometers.

The high voltage battery is located in front of the rear suspension under the floor plate. The 96 prism-shaped cells of the battery store 13 kWh of energy. The battery system has its own cooling circuit that is connected to the air conditioning system, providing efficient cooling even with the highest requirements.

Both plug-in models are capable of covering up to 61 km without emissions according to the new European driving cycle (according to the WLTP standard, the value is 51 km for the Q3 and 50 km for the Q3 Sportback).

In this mode, the vehicles travel at a maximum speed of 140 km / h. At low speeds, the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) produces the regulatory electrical sound to warn other road users.

The Audi Q3 45 TFSI e and Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI e are capable of charging with alternating current (AC) when connected to a 400 V, 3.6 kW outlet.

With this, a discharged battery can be recharged in 3 hours and 45 minutes with the standard mains charger cable.

With the free myAudi app, customers can control charging, timer and preconditioning from their smartphone remotely. Audi customers can choose Volkswagen’s natural electricity supply, which is 100% renewable, to power their homes and garages. For charging on public AC charging posts, compact plug-in hybrids use a “Mode 3” type cable. A big help for prospective owners is the e-tron charging service, which covers most of the countries in Europe: it provides access to more than 155,000 charging points with a single card.

Audi has also revealed that the pre-sale of domestically produced plug-in hybrid models, the Q3 45 TFSI e and the Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI, will start at 46,000 euros (approximately 16.5 million HUF) in January 2021.

Cover image source: Audi AG