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We demo Audi's Traffic Jam Assistant tech on the road [w/video]

The closer automotive technology comes to making good on the promise of fully driverless vehicles, the better we see just what difficult work reaching that ultimate goal will become. That's because, unlike so many other in-car technologies that need only integration into a vehicle, truly autonomous cars will also insist on involvement with the surrounding environment, fellow motorists, infrastructure in cities and other communities and making it all work without exposing automakers to law-breaking or tremendous possible litigation. Clearly that isn't all about to happen in one go.
At CES in 2012, Audi told us about a debuting technology that would mark a significant step along the path towards self-driving cars: Traffic Jam Assistant. This year, the German automaker invited us out to Las Vegas to see the jam-busting technology in action, on a relatively busy freeway.
The Traffic Jam Assistant (we're pretty sure that name is still in Beta) promises to relieve drivers from the tedium of slow-moving freeways by taking care of braking, acceleration and staying inside of the lane - all with no input from the human behind the wheel. While still a fair step from truly autonomous driving, the goal here is to give a commuter some respite from the mechanical, time-wasting traffic jam paradigm, potentially opening up a space for productivity in the process. (Audi can't come right out and say that TJA will allow you to use your cell phone in traffic, as that's still against the law in many places, but something like that is clearly on the radar... er... LiDAR.)

Audi will launch electric line with E-Tron SUV

With BMW and Mercedes both building electric sub-brands, one automaker has been left out of the electric conversation: Audi. However, information from Autocar helps shed some light on the Audi electric situation, and it starts with an SUV. Autocar spoke with Audi chairman Rupert Stadler, who said Audi's new electric SUV will be called the E-Tron. He told the publication the naming scheme would be similar to how Audi introduced Quattro all-wheel drive with a car named after the feature. Also like Quattro, Stadler said other Audi models with electrified powertrains will receive E-Tron suffixes. In a way, it will be like BMW's naming scheme with the i sub-brand; some models are just referred to by the i designation, while normal models with hybrid or electric powertrains have names such as iPerformance. Autocar also revealed that other electric-only E-Tron models will come later, probably in the forms of a hatchback and a sedan. This news also shows that Audi hasn't given up on electric car development. Just last week, the company killed off its R8 E-Tron electric supercar. While the move raised some eyebrows here, since the R8 E-Tron could have been a great electric halo car for the new brand, it seems Audi is more interested in mass-market electric vehicles. The R8 E-Tron, which cost $1,000,000, sold fewer than 100 units and could only be purchased by getting in touch with Audi directly, didn't really fit that bill. Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi E-Tron Quattro: Frankfurt 2015 View 10 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL Green Marketing/Advertising Audi SUV Electric e-tron quattro r8 e-tron

2018 Audi SQ5 will use 48-volt electric supercharger

It seems like 48-volt electric systems and electric compressors are becoming relatively mainstream, and Audi will be adding another vehicle powered by this emerging technology in 2017, according to comments Audi powertrain chief Oliver Hoffman made to Autocar. Hoffman said the upcoming SQ5, probably a 2018-model-year vehicle, will use a version of the electric compressor technology that debuted on the SQ7. While the SQ7 uses two gas-driven turbochargers and one electric compressor, the SQ5 will likely only use one conventional turbo and one e-compressor. That should allow it to make 365 hp, but 390 hp is possible from the system and may hint at room for a more powerful SQ5 Plus down the road. Remember, the European SQ5 uses a 3.0-liter TDI engine, and that's the same basic engine that will power the new SQ5 with the addition of the new forced induction system and 48-volt electrics. And also remember that the US-market SQ5 uses a supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine, not the TDI unit, which is one of the reasons it's still on sale in the wake of the TDI scandal. Torque is the real differentiator: the current US-market SQ5 makes 354 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, while the current Euro-market SQ5 Plus makes a massive 516 lb-ft. No word yet on how the dual-compressor system on the upcoming SQ5 will affect torque numbers, but expect the new engine to again have considerably more twist than its gas-powered US-market counterpart. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Green Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Performance audi sq5 48-volt system