Audi has officially unveiled the Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI Quattro at the Geneva Motor Show. The car is instantly recognizable but gets a few design tweaks. The Q7 e-tron quattro is Audi’s second model with a powerful plug-in hybrid drive system. The model combines the best of two worlds: Powered by the lithium-ion battery, the large SUV covers up to 56 kilometers on electric power alone – quietly, powerfully and with zero local emissions. Together with the diesel engine, the car can cover a total distance of 1,410 kilometers.
The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is the world’s first plug-in hybrid car with a six-cylinder diesel engine and permanent all-wheel drive. The 3.0 TDI and electric motor deliver 373bhp and 700Nm of system torque – enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in 6 seconds and for a top speed of 225 km/h.
The hybrid management system controls the operating states of the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro intelligently, flexibly and with high efficiency. The driver can choose between four modes. The EV mode prioritizes electric driving, while in hybrid mode hybrid management decides on the type of drive for the most part freely. In battery hold mode, the system stores the available electrical energy, and charges the battery in battery charge mode.
The large SUV generally starts in electric mode. To activate the TDI, the driver has to press down on the active accelerator pedal (another innovation from Audi) beyond a certain point of resistance, which depends on the requirements of the hybrid management system. A pressure point must also be overcome for boosting, in which case both the engine and motor work together.
