Audi A8 to have a 48-Volt Mild Hybrid as standard

The world is long awaiting the arrival of Audi’s new flagship sedan, the A8. The Luxo-barge will reportedlymake its global debut at the end of next month. Recent development reports that the fourth generation A8 will employ a 48-volt mild hybrid system as a standard on both diesel and petrol variants.

In the new powertrain, a large 48-volt lithium battery will be paired with a belt-driven alternator. It will regenerate energy during braking and store it in the battery, thus boosting fuel economy and performance. This regenerated energy then can be used to power the wheels in form of 12kW and 60Nm of torque. This new system willreportedly reduce fuel consumption by 0.7litres per 100km (in New European Driving Cycle) on both TFSI and TDI V6 engines. 

With this mild hybrid technology, the saloon will be able to coast with the engine shut off for up to 45seconds at speeds between 30-160kmph. The car will have a separate 12-volt circuit to supply power to lights, air conditioning, and ECU. Controlling its performance between energy recovery during deceleration and coasting will be done by a drive management system that uses a front camera.Optionally, it can also use data from a predictive efficiency assistant, the route data stored in the navigation system and other data supplied by the car’s sensors.

This system will make its debut in the A8 and then make its way to the new gen A6 and A7 as well, but only as an optional fitting. The A8 will also spearhead the Ingolstadt-based carmaker’s autonomous tech. The engine is expected to be the same 6.0-litre W12 which does duty in Bentley Bentayga, while the 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 will also be available. The interior will be spacious compared tothe outgoing car with increased wheelbase and extra headroom.

The new A8 will be revealed to the public for the first time at the Audi Summit in Barcelona next month. With its launch, Audi’s flagship saloon will offer competition to the other two Germans – the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.