Geneva 2019: Audi To Debut Four Plug-in Hybrids Under TFSI e Label

Audi will be presenting the range plug-in hybrid variants of its popular sedans and the Q5 under a new ‘TFSI e’ label at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show 2019.

Customers shopping for an A8, A7 Sportback or A6 model can now look forward to variants with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option. This is, however, not Audi's first attempt at PHEV. The company introduced the Audi A3 PHEV back in 2013 which remains the sole plug-in hybrid model with very limited availability.

Being PHEVs that are using existing platforms which are not fully-electric ready, the four TFSI e models feature a powertrain combination that is commonly found in the segment- a turbocharged petrol engine paired with an electric motor that is integrated in the transmission.

The 14.1 kWh-capacity lithium-ion battery pack is mounted beneath the floor in the trunk section. Various combined system outputs will be offered with more details planned to be announced at the upcoming motor show.

Audi, however, says the electric driving range will be over 40 kilometres in the WLTP cycle for every model.  

The energy recuperation system in the TFSI e models also resembles the feature found in the fully-electric Audi e-tron model. When braking, the new Audi TFSI e models recover up to 80 kW of energy. The electric motor handles slight decelerations, i.e. the majority in everyday traffic.

For medium brake applications, the task is divided between the hydraulic brakes, which perform this task alone only with a deceleration force of more than 0.4 G.

Audi will offer the A7 Sportback, A6, and Q5 TFSI e models with comfort-focus features as well as the sporty S Line package.

The company also mentioned that the ‘e-tron’ label will remain reserved exclusively for fully-electric vehicles, such as the pioneering Audi e-tron SUV.