Mankind took a giant leap towards zero emissions motoring at the Los Angeles Auto Show when Audi unveiled the fuel-cell plug-in hybrid version of the A7 Sportback called the h-tron Quattro.
While others talk ‘concepts’ Audi just gets in and does it and the A7 Sportback h-tron Quattro unveiled in LA was a ‘demonstrator’ ready for real world driving.
As a fuel-cell plug-in hybrid, the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron Quattro has a fuel cell as an energy source, a hybrid battery and electric motors driving both front and rear wheels.
So we’re talking 114kW/270Nm per electric motor, zero to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds (the same time as say the Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI) but with exhaust emissions of just a few drops of water and a range of over 500kms on tank of fuel.
The tank flap on the side of the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron Quattro contains a filler connector for the hydrogen and refueling from empty to full takes three minutes – identical to a petrol-fuelled vehicle.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have long been regarded as the ‘ultimate’ for zero emissions motoring but combining that technology with electric motors in a production-ready vehicle which doesn’t compromise interior space, practicality and sporty driving dynamics has until now proved elusive.
Put simply, Audi has delivered while others have - and continue to - procrastinate.
The h-tron shows that we have mastered fuel cell technology
Chief ‘non-performers’ are global governments who on one hand choose to criticize auto makers for not doing enough about fuel-efficiency and emissions but continue to snatch them and the motoring public in an unabashed grab for taxes at all levels while doing zip about providing infrastructure to support the ground-breaking initiatives which the industry develops.
You can still count on one hand the number of electric vehicle re-charging stations in Australia.
Now, with the A7 Sportback h-tron Quattro, Audi has a zero-emissions vehicle which does not require fuel (petrol or diesel) ready for production.
“The h-tron shows that we have mastered fuel cell technology” revealed Audi’s technical boss Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenburg in Los Angeles. “We are in a position to launch the production process as soon as the market and the infrastructure are ready.”
