The Audi A6 TFSIe Plug-In Hybrid Saloon: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Audi A6 TFSIe PHEV Saloon

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Audi AG, a Bavaria (Germany) based luxury automotive manufacturer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, the Germany automotive group. Volkswagen AG is one of the leading automotive companies in the global electric vehicle (EV) industry. Volkswagen has committed to an investment up to Euro 30 billion by 2023. It aims to sell 3 million electric vehicles by 2025 and launch up to 70 new EV models over the next 10 years.

With the launch of its electric vehicle ID. Family, VW is fast cementing a dominant position is to become the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer by 2028, with the automotive behemoth planning to manufacturer 22 million electric vehicles.  Audi also offers plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), to include:

• A3 Sportback TFSIe
• A6 TFSIe
• A6 Avant TFSIe
• A7 Sportback TFSIe
• A8 TFSIe
• A8 L TFSIe
• Q3 TFSIe
• Q3 Sportback TFSIe
• Q5 TFSIe
• Q5 Sportback TFSIe
• Q7 TFSIe
• Q8 TFSIe

The Audi A6 executive premium saloon has been on sale since 1994. The A6 is currently in its fifth generation. The A6 is also available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

Though a compelling proposition for a company-car driver, the A6 premium plug-in hybrid is just as compelling for private users. The electric vehicle (EV) has an above average EV battery size for a PHEV (17.9 kWh), with a claimed electric range up to 68 km (WLTP certified).

Even adjusting for driving style, speed, weather conditions, passenger load, regenerative braking profile and more, the Audi A6 EV should be able to deliver well over 60 km on a fully charged battery. That is certainly sufficient for most daily commutes and shorter motorway driving.

Do keep in mind that driving in e-mode is not only smoother and more enjoyable, than driving a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalent, but it is also far cheaper per km to drive an EV.

Both the Audi 50 TFSIe quattro S tronic and the Audi 55 TFSIe quattro S tronic, combine an internal combustion engine (ICE) with an electric motor, to deliver greater vehicle efficiency. Audi claims a fuel economy up to 1.4 l/100km.

Of course, to achieve higher levels of real-world fuel economy, the all-wheel drive A6 PHEV has to be driven on the pure electric mode as much as possible. Expect the real-world fuel economy to be much less efficient than the claimed figures, if the majority of the driving is on motorways at high speeds!

It is important that the EV is charged on a regular basis, so that the financial savings from driving on e-mode can be leveraged to its maximum. Buying a PHEV without the intent to use the e-mode to its maximum potential is simply incomprehensible!

The Audi A6 plug-in electric saloon incorporates a 7.2 kW onboard charger, perfect for charging at home in India, given that most homes are powered by single-phase power supply. Using a dedicated EV charger like Easee, the EV battery can fully charged in around two hours and 30 minutes. The PHEV does not offer DC charging compatibility.

However, best not to deplete the EV battery to empty. Always, adopt a ‘topping up’ approach to EV charging. It benefits fuel economy and moreover also benefits the long-term health of the EV battery. Audi offers a 8 years or 160,000 km warranty. Of course, by topping up on a regular basis, there is less time required to wait for recharging the EV between charges.

The 50 TFSIe combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine, with an electric motor powered by the onboard EV battery. Despite the additional weight of the EV battery, the electric car has reasonably good performance: 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds (maximum output 299 PS and 370 Nm torque). The top speed is 250 km/h. The 55 TFSIe is a little quicker and achieves 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. And as is the case with EVs, the Audi A6 plug-in also benefits from instant torque.

As with most premium-badge cars like Audi, high quality interiors come as standard, and the Audi A6 PHEV does not disappoint. The electric vehicle is also technology-laden, to include: Audi virtual cockpit, MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, Audi smartphone Interface and more.

The EV also includes a host of assistance systems, to include: city assist pack, park assist, Audi pre sense rear, head-up display, camera-based traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning inc emergency assist, passenger presence detection and more.

In terms of exterior styling, for those keen to migrate to electric driving, but in an EV that feels familiar in design, the Audi EV exterior styling is well suited. It is attractive without screaming it is futuristic. In terms of practicality, there is ample headroom and legroom for front and rear seat passengers and the drive is refined.

The only limitation is the reduced boot size due to the placement of the onboard EV battery. A6 saloon PHEV offers 360 L in cargo volume.

The EV has claimed tailpipe emissions up to 32g CO2/km. Again, substantially lower than the emissions of the conventional petrol variant. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The Audi electric car is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
High quality interior and level of standard equipment	Top trim expensive
Decent EV battery size and zero-emission EV range	DC charging not available
A comfortable and refined drive	Exterior styling not exciting

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The Audi A6 TFSIe Saloon PHEV (credit: Audi)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Vehicle Type:	Saloon
Engine:	Petrol-Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (1 Option)
Audi A6 TFSIe (from ₹ N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 17.9 kWh
Charging:	DC charging not available. On-board charger 7.2 kW AC (0% – 100%: 2 hrs 30 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	32 – 27g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1457
Width (mm):	1886
Length (mm):	4939
Wheelbase (mm):	2924
Turning Circle (m):	12.1
Boot capacity (L):	360

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50 TFSIe quattro S tronic
EV Battery Capacity:	17.9 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	68 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	15.1
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	1.0 – 1.4
Charging:	DC charging not available. On-board charger 7.2 kW AC (0% – 100%: 2 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	250 km/h
0-100 km/h:	6.2 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	N/A
Max Power (PS):	299
Torque (Nm):	370
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	4
Unladen Weight (kg):	2,085
Colours:	9
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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55 TFSIe quattro S tronic
EV Battery Capacity:	17.9 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	68 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	15.1
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	1.2 – 1.4
Charging:	DC charging not available. On-board charger 7.2 kW AC (0% – 100%: 2 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	250 km/h
0-100 km/h:	5.6 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	N/A
Max Power (PS):	367
Torque (Nm):	500
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	4
Unladen Weight (kg):	2,085
Colours:	9
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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History Of Electric Cars: Quick Facts

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• An electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is not a new invention or even an invention of modern times. Indeed, EVs were first developed more than a 100 years ago in the 19^th century. Put another way, Mahatma Gandhi was yet to be born, when inventors from various countries, to include European countries and the United States were already investing electric motors and batteries.  

• The first practical electric cars were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the first US electric car introduced in 1890. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had just turned 21! 

• Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation. Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages. In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage. Instead the avenue  was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention. It was the beginning of man’s love affair with cars that has lasted more than a century and still going strong. 

• However, the uptake of electric vehicles in the early 20^th century was short-lived, as gasoline powered vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines (ICE) become the preferred mode of transportation.  

• Bottom-line, manufactures chose internal combustion engines over electric cars in the early 1900s for various reasons, to include, the costs and production volumes.  

• It is not definitive as to where EVs were invented or to credit a single inventor. However, one known electric motor (small-scale) was created in 1828 by Anyos Jedlik, a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist and Benedictine priest. Hungarians and Slovaks still consider him to be the unsung hero of the electric motor.  

• Shortly after, between 1832 and 1839, a Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created a large electric motor to drive a carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary power cells. Through the 19^th century a number of inventors were inspired to develop electric motors to include, Thomas Davenport, an American from Vermont credited with building the first DC electric motor in America (1834). Unlike many of his contemporaries and other trying to build electric motors, Davenport did not have a background in either engineering or physics.  In fact, he was a blacksmith. 

• Move forward a few decades and at the end of the 19^th century, William Morrison created what is believed to be the first practical electric vehicle. Morrison, another American from Des Moines, Iowa, was a chemist who became interested in electricity. He build the first electric vehicle in 1887 in a carriage built by the Des Moines Buggy Co.  His first attempt was not a great success. In 1890, he attempted again, with more success. 12 EVs were built using a carriage built by the Shaver Carriage Company.

• The batteries were designed and developed by William Morrison. The vehicle had 24 batteries with an output of 112 amperes at 58 volts that took 10 hours to recharge. Available horsepower just under 4 horsepower. The vehicle could accommodate 6 individuals and had a top speed of 14 mph (22.50 km/h).

• Morrison’s success led to others also developing large-scale practical electric cars.  At the turn of the century cities like New York had 60 electric taxis. The first decade witnessed strong popularity for electric vehicles. However the popularity was short-lived as internal combustion engine (ICE) gasoline powered vehicles replaced the early electric vehicles. Henry Ford’s success with the then ubiquitous Ford Model T was the ‘beginning of the end’ for electric vehicles. The Model T was cheaper than the prevailing electric cars (US$ 650 Vs US$ 1,750) and could be manufactured at scale. As they say — the rest is history.  

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