Bridging the gap
We explore Bristol, the European Green Capital 2015, at the helm of Audi's first production plug-in hybrid: the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
WORDS: JOHN SILCOX
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD PARDON
When the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built in 1864, it represented the pioneering spirit of the port of Bristol at its industrial peak. Over 150 years later, the iron structure is still regarded as an engineering feat, and the city it overlooks has lost none of its enterprising nature.
In January, Bristol took on the mantle of European Green Capital 2015, an award that underlines its commitment to sustainable development. The city has pledged to spend £450m on sustainable transport improvements by the end of the year. The programme includes a number of initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, including the rollout of hundreds more public electric vehicle charging points, which will add to the 36 already installed in the city’s car parks. Unfortunately this good news also highlights one of the main pitfalls currently facing pure electric motoring.
On top of range anxiety, lack of charging infrastructure is holding back pure electric motoring. This is why Audi’s first foray into the world of electric vehicles is the A3 Sportback e-tron – a plug-in hybrid that combines the efficiency of electric power with the reassurance of a petrol engine.
Parked on the docks of Bristol harbour, the hatchback reveals very few exterior signs of its innovative drivetrain. If it wasn’t for the large stickers on the doors of our test model, it would be easy to miss the lack of visible tailpipes and discreet e-tron badging that distinguishes the hybrid from conventionally powered third-generation Audi A3 Sportbacks.
Inside it’s the same story. The e-tron boasts the same refined interior as the standard model, complete with a three-spoke Sport steering wheel with shift paddles, front Sports seats in Rallye cloth, dual-zone electronic climate control, MMI (Multi Media Interface) operating system, and a seven-inch high-resolution colour display screen. It’s only by taking a closer look at the dashboard that you realise the left-hand dial is actually a power meter that indicates driving status, battery charge state and total system power – revealing the vehicle’s hybrid pedigree.
When you press the start button, there are four drive modes to select from: two main driving modes (pure electric and electric/petrol combined), a charging mode, where the lithium-ion batteries are charged by the petrol engine, and a hybrid hold mode. We choose EV mode, which offers 31 miles of pure electric driving at speeds up to 81mph, and set off silently to explore the city centre, emissions free.
Because electric motors can offer peak torque from a standstill, the e-tron accelerates briskly (reaching 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds). This helps exploit gaps in the traffic, and comes in handy when negotiating Bristol’s hilly roads, including Vale Street, the steepest street in Britain.
We stop for lunch near the cathedral, taking the opportunity to top up the battery at a nearby charging point. Unlocking a discreet lever in the second Audi ring on the nose, the whole badge pops to the side revealing a charging socket, ready to connect up. Afterwards, we switch the car into Auto mode – combustion engine and electric motor combined – and head towards Cheddar Gorge in the Somerset countryside to test out the A3 e-tron’s handling on the open road. In this configuration it offers a top speed of 138mph, while frugally returning 176.6mpg (standard EU test figure, see page 92) and emitting as little as 37g/km of C02. The 1.4 TFSI petrol engine combines well with a 75kw electric motor, producing a combined power of 204PS and 350Nm. This is relayed to the front wheels by a revised six-speed S tronic transmission.
Thanks to the clever positioning of the lithium-ion batteries, mounted compactly in a crash-protected location under the rear bench seat, the car is well-balanced and copes well with the sharp bends of
the road carved into the rock. This helps the A3 Sportback e-tron deliver a very engaging driving experience, and after spending a few hours in the car it is obvious that you don’t have to sacrifice driving pleasure to enjoy hybrid mobility.
We head back as the light fades, thankful for the car’s 580-mile range. The thought of being stranded in the remote landscape around Cheddar Gorge is the epitome of ‘range anxiety’ – something the A3 Sportback e-tron driver simply doesn’t have to worry about.
