It’s no secret that Audi is working on electric turbos for the past few years, with reports suggesting that the next RS4 will be among the first models to use this technology.
According to Auto Express, the new RS4 and RS5 will use an electrically turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with a power output of up to 480hp. The setup will use a small electric turbocharger at the lower revs, providing instant boost as it’s not depending on exhaust gasses for its spinning, with a larger traditional turbocharger taking the lead higher in the rev range. The system promises to effectively kill the famous turbo-lag and have cleaner CO2 emissions.
The electric turbocharger is powered by batteries which are charged using the energy from braking, rising even further the total efficiency. However, Audi’s head of technical development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg said to the British outlet that this electrical system will be used ‘only on the very top end models’, because of the much increased cost of it when compared to a traditional twin-turbo setup.
This means that the upcoming Audi S4 will be using a traditional single-turbo setup with Dr. Hackenberg saying that it will produce more than 350hp. He also said that the new electric-turbo 3.0-litre V6 is among the strongest candidates for the entry-level R8 but they still haven’t made a final decision on the matter.
The new Audi RS4 is expected to launch in 2016.
Note: Rendering courtesy of X-Tomi
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