Audi of America confirmed today that it will be adding to the all-new A3 family by offering the A3 Sportback with a plug-in gasoline electric hybrid (PHEV) model in the U.S. market.
Audi recently revealed the A3 Sportback e-tron at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. This vehicle demonstrates the production intent of e-tron using plug in hybrid technology, a practical first step towards electrified driving which mitigates the range anxiety concerns associated with most full battery electric vehicles.
The e-tron name denotes any Audi electric vehicle with plug-in capabilities. Audi has been testing a fully electric A3 in the United States but has no current plans to sell a pure EV.
The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron shown in Geneva uses the highly efficient concept of a parallel hybrid. The combustion engine is a modified 1.4 TFSI, which develops 110 kW (150 hp) and 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft) of torque. The TFSI operates in tandem with an electric motor that generates 75 kW and 330 Nm (243.40 lb-ft) of power.
The disc-shaped electric motor is integrated into a newly designed six-speed e-S tronic, which transfers the power to the front wheels. The two powerplants complement each other. The electric motor develops peak torque from start to around 2,000 rpm, and the TFSI’s maximum pulling power is available in a range from1,750 to 4,000 rpm.
The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 222 km/h (137.94 mph). According to the ECE standard for plug-in hybrid automobiles, the five-door model consumes on average just 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (156.81 US mpg), which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 35 grams per km (56.33 g/mile).
In purely electric mode, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron achieves a top speed of 130 km/h (80.78 mph) with a range of up to 50 km (31.07 miles).
