An all-electric automobile that can be refueled in four minutes – the Audi h-tron quattro concept eliminates the still excessive charging time of normal electric vehicles. A fuel cell powers the concept study. It generates electricity from hydrogen – a gas which Audi can manufacture CO₂-neutrally in its own power-to-gas plant using green electricity. As such, the company is making an unusual proposal for the mobility of the future.
The Audi h-tron quattro concept, which made its debut in early 2016, presents the fifth generation of fuel cell technology from Audi and Volkswagen. Lightweight materials reduce the weight and improve performance, responsiveness and service life. With an efficiency rating in excess of 60 percent, the fuel cell now comfortably surpasses any combustion engine.
The fuel-cell stack comprising 330 individual cells is housed in the forward structure of the technology study. It is powered using hydrogen. Three tanks are located under the passenger cell or the trunk and store sufficient gas at a pressure of 700 bar for a range of up to 600 kilometers. As with a car with a combustion engine, the tanks can be fully refueled in around four minutes.
Ideally complementing the fuel cell that develops 110 kW, there is a compact lithium-ion battery. It is housed under the passenger cell and delivers up to 100 kW power, which provides an additional boost while accelerating. Fuel cell and battery combined deliver a system output of 185 kW. The power from the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery drives two electric motors – one located on the front axle, the other on the rear axle. This innovative all-wheel concept makes the technology study an electrified Audi quattro.
In the European NEDC comparison cycle the Audi h-tron quattro concept consumes around one kilogram of hydrogen per 100 kilometers. It is not only locally, but also globally almost emission-free – provided the gas in the tank is produced using green electricity, as the company does in the Audi e‑gas plant in Lower Saxony.
AUDI AG is responsible for the development of fuel cells within the Volkswagen Group; the Group branch office is based at the Ingolstadt site. The Neckarsulm site is being expanded as a competence center for the development of the h-tron technology. With the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro prototype vehicle, Audi has the opportunity to enter the volume-production process once the market and infrastructure justify such a move. The company is therefore committed to expanding the filling station infrastructure.
Article source: www.audi.com