Audi patents imply future electry quattro system
There is speculation going around that Audi is working on a new version of its trademark quattro all-wheel-drive system, with some recently revealed technical patents suggesting that it plans to use electrically driven elements.
Audi car is apparently working on two engineering projects meant to make their way into production vehicles in the following years.
Using an electrically driven rear axle is quite the first for the German car maker’s new generation of quattro all-wheel-drive system.
Thought to blend the existing quattro unit with electric and hybrid drive, with the new system relying on sensors to detect wheel rotation and slip to variably feed in power gained from regenerative braking according to road conditions.
This new technology is expected to help couple a hybrid transmission with an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. It is thought that this new technology will make for a more intelligent and faster-reacting quattro system able to be employed across both petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles.
Granted this project is still in its early stages, with an electrically assisted quattro unit might be incorporated in the upcoming Q7 e-tron hybrid or maybe in the regular variatns of the second-generation Q7 SUV – the Q7 will be shown before the release of the SUV in 2015.
A production version of this tech is even more likely, the 515kW/880Nm hybrid-powered Sport quattro sports car could also be another major contender for this advanced system.
There’s another patent suggesting the use of hinged aerodynamic wheel spoke flaps, designed to move radially over the wheel spokes as rotation increases, the flaps, at speed will effectively create a completely flat wheel cover aimed to reduce drag and thus improving efficiency.
Aside from being speed sensitive, the patent application suggests the flaps are additionally temperature sensitive and able to open up in case brake cooling is required.
