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| Audi A3 Sportback e-tron |
By Kim Tae-jong
Audi Korea will introduce the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron in Korea at an upcoming motor show in Busan.
The Audi e-tron refers to a series of electric and hybrid concept cars. It is expected to be one of the key models at the 13th Busan International Motor Show, which will kick off on May 30 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in the southern port city.
A total of 198 vehicles from 15 Korean and foreign carmakers will be displayed during the 11-day event. Audi will feature 12 models.
Based on the five-door hatchback, the A3 Sportback e-tron is the most efficient version of the Audi A3. It is a plug-in hybrid with a total range of 940 kilometers. It allows the driver to choose the electric vehicle mode, on which he or she can travel up to 50 kilometers without using petrol propulsion.
The A3 Sportback e-tron comes equipped with a 1.4-liter turbo fuel stratified injection (TFSI) engine with an electric motor, which can generate 204 horsepower and takes only 7.6 seconds to reach a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The electric motor also gives the car an instant torque of 35.7 kilogram-meters at relatively low revolutions per minute.
Audi will soon start selling the A3 Sportback e-tron in Europe and then launch it here in the first half of the next year. The German luxury automobile brand will also launch the plug-in hybrid versions of the Q7 and the A4.
Launching a series of hybrid models is a part of Audi's efforts to achieve "CO2-neutral mobility," that is, to develop green cars without compromising premium features. The firm plans to launch an e-tron model in all of its segments and sell at least 100,000 vehicles from the e-tron family.
An example of the firm's green initiatives is the e-gas project that began in June last year. The project aims to promote sustainability not only with cars but also with all types of energy sources.
Audi also opened a new plant in Werlte, Germany, which produces hydrogen and synthetic methane ― these clean fuels come from renewable energy, water and carbon dioxide.
The power-to-gas plant will also provide hydrogen from electrolysis to fuel-cell cars. This "e-gas" can be converted back to electricity and used for intermediate storage of renewable energies.
Audi is proud to become the first automaker to "develop a chain of sustainable energy carriers." It has also been developing technology for new power trains that can maximize the performance of the new types of clean fuels, said the company.
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