Audi's Hybrid Metroproject Quattro

Audi has just unveiled its sexy plug-in electric/petrol hybrid concept car -- which has a turbocharged 1.4.litre TFSI engine

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Audi's Hybrid Metroproject Quattro

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We're running around like kids in a candy store at the Tokyo Motor Show, it's a technophile's delight -- and Audi has just come out swinging. The German company has just unveiled its sexy metroproject quattro, a plug-in electric/petrol hybrid concept car with some amazing features, including a detachable remote control that acts as an integrated or standalone mobile phone, navigation unit, MP3 and video player and keyless ignition tag, while letting you turn the car's heater on before you leave the house.

Plug-in electric/petrol hybrid engine

The plug in/petrol hybrid is a best-of-both-worlds solution that combines the cheap petrol-free running potential of an electric engine with a petrol backup for longer distances and higher performance.

The metroproject's petrol unit is a turbocharged 1.4.litre TFSI engine developing 110 kW (150 bhp), whose power is directed to the front wheels by means of the S-tronic Direct Shift Gearbox. A 30 kW (41 bhp) electric motor positioned on the rear axle is able to deliver up to an additional 200 Nm of torque when the vehicle is accelerating. When both engines are in operation the car is transformed from a front-wheel-drive to a quattro, and power is transferred to the road in the most effective way possible.

The 70kg electric motor is capable of powering the vehicle alone for zero-emission, zero-petrol commuting -- meaning that through the week, it's perfectly possible to get to work and back with a bit of extra zipping around without burning a drop of gasoline. The capacity of the lithium-ion batteries gives the vehicle a range of up to 100 km in pure electric mode -- more than enough for the average person's daily round trip, and the motor can be recharged from any power socket overnight.

In hybrid mode, the automatic start/stop facility, regenerative braking system and phases of purely electrical operation reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of the metroproject quattro by around 15 percent compared to when it is running exclusively on the combustion engine. Despite its sporty performance (0-100 kmh in 7.8 seconds, top speed of 201 kmh), the study uses just 4.9 litres of premium fuel for every 100 km, while CO2 emissions average a mere 112 g/km.

Removable Audi mobile device

The center console houses a new, innovative technology: the removable Audi mobile device. This portable unit functions as a keyless ignition authorization system for the vehicle, a mobile phone, a navigation unit and an audio and video player all in one.

It also serves as the control unit for numerous vehicle systems which can also be set from outside the Audi metroproject quattro. The mobile device offers the entire range of functions and exact same menu navigation as the MMI system and integrates a host of communications devices that were previously only available separately into a single, extremely space-efficient unit.

This allows the driver to use the compact device as an MP3 player, for example, or as an address database and input tool for the navigation system. What's more, it can be used to switch on the vehicle's heating if required and program the sound system to suit your personal preferences, before you leave the house.

The unit is operated using a touchscreen, whose architecture replicates the MMI standard. The touch-sensitive screen is capable of recognizing both Latin and Japanese characters, and is even able to decipher handwriting. The Audi mobile device and vehicle communicate via a WLAN connection.

The Audi mobile device also offers the vehicle owner an extra security function: images from a camera in the vehicle interior can be received on the device's display in real time. If the vehicle alarm is triggered, the system activates itself and warns the owner. Should the vehicle be stolen and move out of the WLAN connection's range, the electronics automatically switch to the car phone's UMTS transmitter to keep the owner informed of the vehicle's current location.