Even though Audi->ke14 was until recently a bit behind both BMW->ke178 and Mercedes-Benz->ke187 in terms of plug-in hybrids->ke147 and road-going electric cars,->ke1030 the Ingolstadt manufacturer is now on the rebound. To make up for lost ground, Audi plans to roll-out a new plug-in hybrid model every year, albeit it oddly doesn't mention the exact time period for the whole shebang. Apart from the e-tron-branded vehicles, the Audi is also working on purely electric cars to launch in the near future, confirming the recent rumor about an all-electric sports car->ke506 and a crossover->ke288 SUV->ke145 running on nothing but batteries.
The above information was revealed at CES 2015, where strangely enough not a single plug-in hybrid or electric Audi concept car was in attendance, with the carmaker instead plugging its autonomous driving technology. Apart from developing an entire range of plug-in hybrid or fully-electric cars in the near future, Audi is also working hard to improve contactless charging for the aforementioned types of vehicles, with the greatest effort being placed into induction-based energy, something the German car manufacturer calls Audi Wireless Charging (AWC).
As the first plug-in hybrid vehicle from Audi was successfully-launched in 2014 in the shape of the A3 e-Tron model, the next road-going car using similar technology will apparently be part of the medium segment, although the carmaker declined to go into specifics. If I were to guess, Audi is probably talking about a plug-in hybrid 2016 Q7 to go on sale in 2015, even though I fail to see how that beast of an SUV could be ever considered as part of the "medium segment."
Click past the jump to read more about Audi's future Plug-In Hybrid E-Tron models.
Why it matters
Until electric cars become part of the norm, all major car manufacturers are racing to provide a stop-gap technology that makes everyone at ease with vehicles that you have to charge form an electric socket. Plug-in hybrid technology is a perfect way to both prolong the sound and performance of internal combustion engines and make them compatible with a much greener future, especially in congested cities.
With that being said, the fact that Audi is also jumping on the plug-in hybrid bandwagon, joining both Mercedes-Benz and BMW in this small "crusade," can mean nothing but good things for everyone. The three will be forced to compete with each other more aggressively in the plug-in hybrid niche, which in turn should translate into better overall cars. Competition is always good.