2018 Audi A8 To Feature 48-Volt Tech As Standard On All Models

Set to go on sale later this year, the upcoming 2018 Audi A8 will come equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system as standard on all models, both petrol and diesel.

The 48-volt electrical system will be comprised by a lithium-ion battery and a belt-driven alternator that harvests energy during braking which then is stored into the battery.

The new Audi A8 will just be the first model to be offered with that technology, as the company plans to “very quickly” extend the offering of the same system to the new generations of the A6 and A7, Alexander Kruse, the automaker’s head of mild hybrid systems said to AutoNews.

Kruse also said that Audi’s smaller models will not use the 48-volt lithium-ion battery but will instead get a lighter, more conventional battery that provides less torque for shorter periods.

The system will be able to provide up to 12kW (16hp) of additional power and 60Nm (44,2lb-ft) of torque, while it can help in reducing the fuel consumption of a V6 petrol engine by up to 0.7lt/100km in the New European Driving Cycle.

The new Audi A8 will be able to coast for up to 45 seconds with the engine turned off at speeds between 30km/h and 160km/h (19mph to 99mph). The decision between energy recovery during deceleration and coasting will be made by a drive management system that uses a front camera and, optionally, data from a predictive efficiency assistant, the route data stored in the navigation system and other data supplied by the car sensors.

Audi will reveal in full detail the new A8 flagship on July 11.

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