The Audi stall at the LA Auto show was bustling with energy and rightly so. Marc Lichte, Head of Design, Audi revealed the prologue concept car which ushers the company into a new era of design. Commenting on the occasion Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Development said, “When he moved to Audi, March launched a design offensive. His clear philosophy and precise understanding of Audi DNA let him develop a design strategy that is opening up entirely new perspectives for us. It is progressive and highly emotional; it expresses the technological competence and quality claim of the brand perfectly. The Audi Prologue is its first proponent – it is a ‘signature car’ for Audi.”
In addition to this, the company has also showcased its expertise in fuel cell technology with the A7 Sportback h-tron with an all-electric quattro set-up. The car is capable of nearly 500 km range on a single tank of hydrogen fuel (hence the ‘h’ in h-tron). The electric quattro setup uses two powerful electric motors for each axle and a 300-cell stack. The car can also has plug-in like features like the Lithium-ion battery pack which can be charged through a wall socket and also uses regenerative braking. The cabin houses the informative MMI display to inform the driver about the energy flow and also the fuel level in the hydrogen tank and the level of battery charge. Selecting the EV option uses battery power alone. The car can also switch between ‘Sport’ and automatic driving modes. ‘Sport’ mode enhances the regenerative braking capabilities of the car.
Speaking of the A7 Sportback h-tron quattro, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg said, “The h-tron concept car shows that we have mastered fuel cell technology. We are in a position to launch the production process as soon as the market and infrastructure are ready”
Story: Aniruddha Mulgund
