Audi RS 5 TDI concept gets an electric turbocharger

Audi’s RS 5 TDI concept technology study is focused to make diesel engines sportier and further efficient. The concept combines a V6 3.0 TDI biturbo engine with an electric turbocharger. The Audi RS 5 TDI now pumps out 385bhp of maximum power and the torque levels have gone to a monstrous 750Nm from as low as 1,250rpm up to 2,000rpm. This enables the RS 5 TDI to touch 100kmph from a standstill in a mere 4 seconds. 200kmph is achieved in 16seconds and the top whack is 280kmph. Atop this, Audi claims the concept study delivers a fuel efficiency figure of 18.87kmpl.

“25 years ago, Audi launched the first TDI on the market, writing the first chapter of an enduring success story,” said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member, and Technical Development. “Our latest innovation is the electric turbocharger, which further improves not just sprint times and pulling power, but also efficiency. This technology illustrates the possibilities harboured by 48-volt electrical systems, which we are currently developing for use in production vehicles.” It will soon be a thing of past when diesel engines were considered less peppy than petrol engines. This new technology will enable diesels to provide enhanced driving characteristics to drivers without much compromising on fuel efficiency. The current crop of RS 5 is petrol powered gas guzzling monsters with massive performance figures. The new RS 5 TDI can very nearly match those number with the added benefits of a diesel efficiency.

The new supplemental electric supercharger delivers power right when the accelerator pedal is pressed. An electric motor replaces the turbine wheel in the turbocharger and accelerates the compressor wheel above 70,000rpm in hundredths of a second. A relative boost equivalent to 2.4bar is provided by the exhaust turbochargers. The red line for the engine is set at a high 5,500rpm. Recuperation is the primary source of the drive energy for the electric turbocharger. To transmit this energy, the RS 5 TDI concept uses a separate 48-volt electrical system that is connected to the conventional 12-volt electrical system via a DC/DC converter. The energy is stored in a compact lithium-ion battery. The advantage of 48-volt electrical systems is that they enable the transmission of larger amounts of energy. This makes them an important milestone in the Audi electrification strategy.

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