Audi hasn’t unveiled the all-new 2018 Audi A8 yet, but Audi has announced that the new A8 will be powered by a standard mild hybrid system. That means that every combustion engine in the new A8 lineup will be mated to a hybrid system.
The 2018 Audi A8 is going to debut on July 11
The mild hybrid drive system is made up of two main components. The first is a water cooled 48-volt belt alternator starter, which complements the conventional pinion starter. Then there is the lithium-ion battery in the luggage compartment to act as the energy accumulator for the hybrid system with a 10 Ah charge carrier capacity and a 48-volt system.
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The mild-hybrid system will give the new A8 the ability to drive in a noiseless coasting mode within the speed range of 34 to 99 mph. The new A8 can then coast with zero emissions for up to 40 seconds with the engine off altogether. As soon as the driver steps on the gas again, the system prompts a swift, very smooth restart. In addition, start/stop operation is actually active from 13.7 mph.
The start/stop function in the new Audi A8 differs from previous systems. The new highly-connected A8 will be able to distinguish between different traffic situations. When the road ahead is clear, the system starts the combustion engine conveniently and promptly, letting the Audi A8 drive off swiftly. After long standstill phases and if the customer wants to turn up the air conditioning, the combustion engine is started extra-smoothly and quietly. There is the new feature of predictive convenient starting: As soon as the vehicle in front of the Audi A8 moves, the engine starts even if the brake is still pressed.
The new Audi A8 makes its world debut at the first Audi Summit in Barcelona on July 11.
Source: Audi