Audi commits to electromobility – and bows to Tesla
The annual VDA’s Technical Congress has something of a Druids meeting: Engineering rainmakers of OEMs, tier one suppliers and other technology providers along the European automotive value chain meet to discuss the technology trends in the industry. Did I say European? Yes – though VDA stands for “Association of the German Automotive Industry”, the club also has many members from other countries such as PSA and Michelin from France.
At the meeting held last week in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, already the selection of the topics indicated that the industry is in departure. Though VDA president Matthias Wissmann advocated the value of the diesel technology for the industry (“without diesel technology, Europe won’t be able to meet its CO2 targets”), most presentations and keynote speeches focused on data-driven mobility models and, of course, on electromobility.
For example, Porsche R&D director Michael Steiner said there is not much headroom left for the energetic optimization potential for the automobile – at least not for the conventional one. To improve the energy efficiency of the entire mobility section in the economy, electrification is the only option, he said. “The next logical step is the electrification”, he said in his keynote speech, titled “The sports car of the future”. Porsche’s top management has given green light to bring the “Mission E” prototype demoed past September to series production, Steiner said. He also provided some new details about the four-seater: It will come with two permanently excited synchronous motors, one on each axle. Porsche chose this type of engine for its high energetic efficiency and its constant power delivery across the entire rpm range. Fast charging will be essential for the success of such a high-performance vehicle, Steiner said. Therefore, Porsche equips the Mission E with a “turbo charger” – not in the sense the expression is used in combination with an internal combustion engine but in the sense that the vehicle’s batteries will be charged in much shorter time than with today’s electromobiles. Towards this end, the vehicle will use an 800V DC system, twice as high as used in typical electric cars of today.
The probably most committed plea for electromobility came from Stefan Niemand, Director Battery Electric Vehicles at Audi. He criticized the electromobility strategy currently prevailing across wide parts of the industry. “These cars are slower than those with conventional drive and they have a much lower range – and in compensation they are more expensive,” he said. With this strategy, electromobility won’t see any breakthrough soon. According to Niemand, car buyers want to buy a sustainable vehicle, and they even are ready to pay a premium if they do not have to accept losses in terms of driving fun. If carmakers would abandon their restraints, the electromobility landscape would look quite different, he made clear. “Those who had ever driven electrically are lost for the internal combustion engine for all times”, Niemand said. He used the opportunity to praise Audi’s activities in this field – the company has decided to launch series production of an electric three-motor luxury SUV with up to 370 kW (500 hp) in 2018.
To avoid long charging breaks during long-distance trips, it is necessary to build up a DC charging infrastructure with an electric power of 350 kW, Niemand demanded. “We need awesome cars and a seamless infrastructure,” he said. Here comes Tesla into play – the competitor has single-handedly established such a high-performance infrastructure. The Audi manager conceded he is impressed by the American manufacturer. “I hate to admit it, but Tesla did everything right”, he said.
Related articles:
Porsche reveals prototype battery-driven sports car
Tesla promises 1000 km range for e-cars soon
Audi details plans for e-car production
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