Audi A6L E-Tron Offers 80km in Plug-in Hybrid Range

We looked at Audi's plans for a more electric-friendly future a few weeks ago, and it seems that it is putting its plans immediately into practice. The A6L E-tron offers an 80km range of plug-in hybrid power that Audi claims is tuned specifically for the needs of the Chinese consumer.

The A6L E-tron takes a standard A6L that is produced in China. It uses a 2.0 TFSI with 211hp and a 95hp electric motor. It says that 80km electric range is available if the vehicle stays below 60km/h. The system can transition between only using the internal combustion engine, hybrid and pure electric motor power on the fly depending on what is needed. The electric motor gets power both from a plug and from regaining power during deceleration.

Audi already has hybrid versions of the A6, A8 and Q5 with an electric range of 3km. It is experimenting with versions of the A1 E-tron and A3 E-tron. It plans to have the A3 E-tron on the market in 2014. Audi claims that in the near future E-tron will be as important for Audi as TDI and Quattro.

The car has the same looks as the standard A6L except for 21in wheels. Like the standard car, it is made from aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Audi says that the construction cuts the car's weight by 15% compared to an all-steel car.

The interior is also basically the same as a standard A6L. There is no tachometer, instead there is power meter that shows the amount of power the car is currently using as a percentage. It also has colored segments that display the batteries' state of charge.

While Audi is planning to have an A3 E-tron as its first plug-in hybrid model, expect to see a vehicle like this soon after.