Looks like Audi is following Mercedes lead and will be getting into the luxury hybrid game – that is, if the Audi A8 Hybrid show car that will be seen in Geneva makes it to production.
In a lot of ways, making hybrids for the well healed instead of the masses makes more sense. The rich always get the good stuff first, and then it finally makes its way down to the plebes like you and me.
Audi is increasingly serious about alternative propulsion it would seem, and they are looking to electricity for the next round of driveline innovations, and the fruits of their labor are coming this year. Audi will unveil the 2011 Audi A8 Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March. This could possibly be one of the eight new models Audi will release in 2010.
But just how much of a hybrid will the upcoming Audi A8 Hybrid Geneva Motor Show car be? Audi says that it will be a full on hybrid, and will not be a so-called “mild” hybrid.
Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America President, said unequivocally that the company, ” … must say no” to technologies that don’t significantly improve both the emissions and performance over current vehicles. Audi will focus their efforts on full gasoline-electric technology since that tech “share[s] more relevancies to EVs and consumer expectations.”
In addition to the A8 hybrid show car there is also the Q5 hybrid that Audi will be producing. These two (sure, you know the A8 hybrid will probably be in show rooms) along with the German’s interest in new clean diesel technology in the States as well as the forthcoming e-tron, Audi is getting into the alt-fuel/EV world in a big way.
Now it needs for all of this to pay off.
In some ways, it might seem like a safe bet. We most definitely need to start worrying about the environment, and do you think gas prices will actually drop? Probably not.
But if humans decide to get stupid, Audi cold end up with egg on its face.
Source: AutoBlogGreen
