Audi sees the future of personal mobility resting with the electrification of the car.
Unlike Mercedes-Benz, which seems committed to inventing the automobile again — but this time fuelled by hydrogen — Audi is focused on optimised combustion engines, hybrids and EVs. Hydrogen and fuel cell technology just aren't on the agenda. The near-future vision from Audi (and BMW) is at odds with the Benz (and Toyota, Honda and Hyundai) strategy of gearing up for a hydrogen society.
At the launch last week of the new four-cylinder A6 variants, Audi Product Manager John Roberts delivered a wide-ranging presentation to the local media concerning Audi's efficiency strategy and how that would impact on the company's product range over the next few years. But while mild hybrids, plug-ins and EVs were all mentioned, nothing was said about hydrogen or fuel cells.
"It's not, at this stage, part of our major strategy," explained Audi's General Manager Corporate Communications, Anna Burgdorf. "Certainly some of our competitors are focusing on [it] — and obviously it's a strong strategy for reducing consumption, but it's not part of the program..."
Asked whether Audi was waiting for the R&D costs to come down or the materials technology to improve, Burgdorf said that the company has investigated the technology.
"Electrification is not the only thing that we're looking at," she said. "It's fair to say that in terms of research and development, we're looking at pretty much a broad suite of technologies, but at this stage we see the future in electrification — as the most effective way to reduce consumption vastly, in the next few years."
"It's just not for us right now."
The next day, John Roberts spoke with motoring.com.au on the same subject.
"Audi will look at every possible alternative fuel or mobility [system]…" Roberts began. He agreed with the view that hydrogen — and a hydrogen society as outlined by Benz Chairman Doctor Dieter Zetsche — is more the stuff of the future beyond 2020.
"Exactly... 2020; what we have now — that vision with e-tron is definitely the direction. After that… depending on the developments — especially with fuel cells and hydrogen and infrastructure — they'd have to be ready if there's a sudden shift, somehow."
Hydrogen offers a longer range for touring than electric vehicles do, with current battery technology. Toyota's FCHV provides a range up to 800km and Hyundai's Tucson ix FCEV is good for 650km. Roberts believes the touring range limitations of 'electric' vehicles can be overcome by range-extending technology, with plug-in hybrids kept on the move by an on-board engine burning small amounts of fossil fuel.
"Depending on the model [and] the use for the customer, we would have the ideal e-tron solution for that car and customer in terms of range; for example, a plug-in hybrid or an e-tron with range extender — or a full electric car for someone that's [only driving] in the city. That's the idea, the e-tron... is flexible, in a way."
Australians love to go roaming on holidays and inter-capital drives are common, even in this era of cheap airline flights and range-extending EVs have the potential to meet the needs of the holidaying Smiths travelling from Melbourne to Sydney or vice versa. But a range-extended hybrid with a family on board and enough clothing and recreational gear to last a week or two could be taxed heavily by the payload and unlikely to get much beyond 400km per fill — if that. That's where hydrogen still seems to hold all the cards. And what about battery swapping for Audi's EVs, while we're on it?
"At this point in time, when I look at e-tron, battery swapping is not part of that," Roberts replied. So the fully-electric Audi will need to sit in the garage overnight, hooked up to a powerpoint once the battery runs low. That's not so onerous for users who only drive around town and Roberts agrees that Audi's strategy will take into account different needs.
"There'll definitely need to be different solutions for different customers... that's our goal — to have a solution where we can meet the requirements of all our customers in all the segments."
And if hydrogen and fuel cell technology took off sooner than anticipated, Roberts insists Audi would be "ready for it".
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