We’re almost a month away from the reveal of the all-new Audi A8, and the company already started revealing details about its new flagship, including the offering of mild hybrid powertrains as standard across the range.
Confirming an earlier report on the matter, Audi announced that all versions of the new A8 will feature a 48-volt mild hybrid powertrain.
The new mild hybrid system will be comprised by two main components: a watercooled 48-volt alternator starter (BAS) which compliments the traditional pinion starter, with the latter used only for cold starts, and a lithium-ion battery with a 10Ah charge carrier capacity and a 48-volt system.
Having a BAS means that when the vehicle is coasting, the time for the engine to be started again is minimal, allowing the car to accelerate immediately. The new Audi A8 can coast at speeds between 55 to 160km/h (34 to 99mph), with the system allowing for up to 40 seconds of coasting with the engine turned off. As soon as the driver steps on the accelerator again, the BAS allows for a prompt and smooth restart.
The system even features what Audi calls ‘predictive convenient starting’: when the vehicle in front of you starts to move, the engine starts even if the brake pedal is still pressed to allow the driver follow the flow of the traffic.
All this has been made possible thanks to Audi’s new powertrain management that reads both route data and information from the vehicle’s sensors, including a front camera. Audi claims that thanks to their new 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, they were able to reduce fuel consumption by up to 0.7 lt/100km (0.2 mpg US).
The new Audi A8 will make its world debut on July 11 at the first Audi Summit in Barcelona.
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