2010 Audi S5 Premium Plus Automatic 4-door Sedan on 2040-cars

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Porsche would have entered F1 if Audi had blocked its Le Mans program

Go back a few years and you may have heard rumors of Porsche heading into Formula One. That never came to pass - or at least, it hasn't yet - but that doesn't mean that it wasn't close to happening. That's how committed to returning to top-level motorsport competition Porsche has become recently.
Autosport reports that just as Porsche was merging fully into the Volkswagen Group, Zuffenhausen was weighing its options for a factory racing program. Le Mans was its favorite, which makes sense, as it remains far and away the most successful constructor in the history of the famous endurance race. But the strategists at Porsche were worried that its new corporate overlords at Volkswagen wouldn't support two LMP1 programs and would favor Audi, which has positively dominated the modern era of endurance racing, coming second only to Porsche in the number of Le Mans victories it has scored to date.
Porsche's Plan B was reportedly to head into Formula One, although it isn't clear if the German automaker was intent on starting its own team, buying an existing one or merely providing engines to other teams. Porsche fielded its own cars in F1 in the late 1950s and early 60s, and returned as an engine supplier with TAG to power McLaren in the 1980s, powering Niki Lauda and Alain Prost to the World Championship in 1984 and 1985.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 carshare, Audi e-gas plant

Elix Wireless has announced its E10K Wireless Charging System. The system is designed for harsh conditions, delivers up to 10 kilowatts and features automatic detection and removal of foreign objects. Its low frequency makes it safe to operate near oil and gas, and in other hazardous environments. The system can charge personal vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks, mining equipment and heavy duty machinery. Elix has "created an entirely new technology that meets customer demand for fast, safe and reliable charging," says, CEO David Smith. The E10K system uses Elix's Magneto-Dynamic Coupling technology, with rotating permanent magnets in the transmitter and receiver. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from Elix Wireless. FreeWire Technologies and Siemens are working together on a pilot program for the Mobi Charger. The mobile charging station, which uses second-life EV batteries to charge electric vehicles, will be deployed for a trial at LinkedIn's campus in Mountain View, CA. The Mobi is more flexible than stationary chargers in that it brings the charging to the car, regardless of where it is parked, rather than having to park the EV in a specific spot. It can charge up to five cars per day without putting stress on the grid during peak hours. Read more from Siemens. Audi's e-gas plant in Werlte, Germany helps stabilize the power grid. The plant, which produces synthetic methane using CO2, water and electricity, is able to draw six megawatts of power within five minutes, allowing it to become certified in the electricity balancing market. This helps the grid adapt to the larger load fluctuations that go hand-in-hand with generating renewable energy. It also allows the plant to achieve higher operating times and produce more e-gas each year. Read more in the press release from Audi. The BMW i3 is now available through the DriveNow carsharing service in Germany. DriveNow, which is a joint venture between BMW and car rental company Sixt, has put 100 i3s into service in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. BMW also says that it supports a shift away from private car ownership in order to improve urban living and mobility, and sees electric carsharing as an important part of that. "We are witnessing the changes our customers and society as a whole are making and we are taking them on board," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel.

Porsche, Audi team up for tech: autonomy, EVs, hybrids and more

Porsche and Audi have been working on a number of important technologies for future vehicles. The two luxury automakers, both part of the Volkswagen Group, have mostly appeared to guard the space between their brands despite some shared engines and a platform. While their goals may not always overlap – Porsche has shied away from fully autonomous driving, for instance ­– the two brands have decided they could move more quickly into their respective futures by putting their heads together. In that spirit, Audi and Porsche are partnering up for a "shared vehicle architecture strategy of the future." This collaboration will focus on future mobility, including the development electrification, digitization, and autonomous driving technology. And the teams have knowledge and resources to share with one another. Porsche is moving fast with electrification, adding more hybrid systems to its models and preparing to launch the ultra-fast-charging Mission E electric car. Audi has been pursuing autonomous driving, connected vehicle and V2X tech, and Shared Fleet programs. Combining the best and brightest of both companies should help accelerate R&D. Even if one or the other company doesn't put all of the co-developed technologies into its vehicles, they'll both be learning the lessons, and sharing resources should help keep costs in check. "We will cooperate wherever it makes sense," says Porsche Board of Management Chairman Oliver Blume. "But we will also be very careful to maintain the differentiation between our brands. A Porsche is always a Porsche, and that will remain so in the future." Detail are still scarce, but Audi and Porsche will pin down a more a more specific sharing strategy as they develop their plan through 2025. While the cars continue to look and drive differently, expect Porsche and Audi to share more components and digital capabilities moving forward. Related Video: