2012 Audi Premium Plus Quattro 2.0t,navigation,automatic on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

Audi 4.2-liter V8 to live again in next-gen R8

Fellow auto enthusiasts, it looks like the car gods have smiled upon us. Word is that Audi's stupendous 4.2-liter V8 will once again be available in the next-generation R8. Rumors pegged the trusty 4.2 as a dead engine revving, thanks to Audi's newer 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found in models like the S6 and S7.
We expected the 4.0-liter to be the go-to engine in the next R8, but according to Car and Driver, there have been some issues cooling the force-induced mill in the mid-engine R8. The issues are so severe, in fact, that the 4.2 is going to be retained in the car's second generation.
It's more than just practical matters like cooling that are keeping the R8 from going turbocharged. C/D reports that even with the current state of forced induction, a turbocharged R8's throttle response and its resultant exhaust note would suffer too much to be feasible.

Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept is a wild surprise ahead of Frankfurt

Volkswagen Group Night ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show always has some surprises, the first of which this year is the Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept. The all-wheel-drive, turbo-diesel-powered supercar is similar to the Giugiaro Parcour Concept that was unveiled earlier this summer. In fact, the Parcour's creator, Italdesign Giugiaro, penned the Nanuk, and we suspect much of the former found its way into the latter - with some changes, of course.
The diesel engine, a departure from the Parcour, is a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V10 TDI unit that develops 544 horsepower and a hole-digging 738 pound-feet of torque, which make the 4,189-pound all-road vehicle able to dispatch 0-62 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds and go on to a 190-mph top speed. Fuel consumption is a relatively low 30 miles per gallon for a car with this much performance.
The Nanuk showcases Audi's Quattro, though it uses a specially designed version of the all-wheel-drive system to get the job done. Audi's next generation of adaptive air suspension is featured as well, which fits the crossover nature of the Nanuk. Drivers are given a range of 2.76 inches of height adjustment, though Audi doesn't mention the car's minimum or maximum ground clearance.