A3 e-tron - Terje's cars

You will not find that in the brochures or under technical information on the websites. And the figures you may see do not necessarily have to be real for Norwegian conditions.

I have been on a long trip with the Audi A3 e-tron, the sister model of the Volkswagen Golf GTE. If you want to know how much petrol these cars use in reality, you have to check what owners and car journalists report. Actually, there are only two things that are interesting: - How far the batteries go, and what the fuel consumption is when the battery range is 0 km.

The batteries last approximately 30-35 kilometers - no more, no less. Many people can then drive to and from work on electricity, provided they have charging options at home and/or at work. Without charging options, you lose one of the charging hybrid's biggest advantages.

On long-distance driving, it matters little how much you have left in the batteries. I prefer to put the car in "Hybrid" mode right away and let the car distribute the battery energy itself while driving, instead of running the car out of power and then letting it switch to "Hybrid" by itself. It may just be imagination, but I think hybrid operation works better when the batteries are not run completely empty.

0,42 litres/mile

Road driving 80 zone with 80-100 km/h on the speedometer.
Measured distance: 88 km (Outhuskrysset to Tretten).
Battery range: 3 to 0 km
Outside temperature: Between -1,5 and -5,0 degrees
Inside temperature: 18,5 degrees.

0,53 litres/mile

Motorway with 100-120 km/h on the speedometer.
Measured distance: 114 km (Kolomoen to Lysaker).
Battery range: 0 km
Outside temperature: Between -1,5 and -5,0 degrees
Inside temperature: 19,0 degrees

Normal for the class

The factory figures for another powerful Audi A3, – 2,0 TFSI 190 HP – are 0,47 on the highway and 0,71 in the city. You must pay full taxes on that car. Owners of the A3 e-tron are exempt from the one-off fee. They get a 1,4 TFSI 150 HP assisted by a 54 horsepower electric motor. Both cars are ideal for long journeys and have roughly the same fuel consumption.

I think this is typical for plug-in hybrids. If you drive a hybrid, you get a fuel consumption that can certainly claim to be among the best in the class, but which certainly does not revolutionize anything.

The total consumption of the e-tron includes both petrol and electricity. The electric power is built up during the trip, among other things by transferring braking energy to the batteries. If you put the gear lever in "S", you get an artificial engine brake that is so powerful that you can both accelerate and brake with the same pedal, as in BMW i3. Without doing any scientific work, I think the engine brake charges the batteries very efficiently while driving and increases the range. But be aware that the engine brake also turns on the brake lights. With a bit of snow on the rear window, I could follow when the brake lights came on. If you are not very firm on the gas pedal during deceleration, the brake lights can turn on and off several times, confusing those driving behind. I therefore prefer to use the engine brake only on the longest downhills and as a "retarder" for smooth braking on roundabouts and exits.

Rolls for free

The ordinary engine brake on the e-tron feels almost absent, - almost like a freewheel when you let off the gas. When the car is rolling, the petrol engine is also cut off. As long as you only give a little gas, the car uses the electric motor. With your eyes fixed far ahead on the road, it is possible to drive very economically - and very comfortably without the petrol engine kicking in. It makes me think: - Why don't normal cars have freewheels? Those of us who are old enough to have driven a Saab 96 (-1976) remember the joys of the freewheel.

Driving the A3 e-tron on a lightly trafficked E6 north towards Gudbrandsdalen is pure pleasure. I realize that I could probably have driven even more economically.

Updated measurements

January 2019:

I took the same trip with the same type of car and measured similar results. I started with full batteries. The stretch Lysaker - Tretten in Gudbrandsdalen - a distance of just over 227 km. The average consumption on the entire stretch, measured on the car's trip computer, ended up at 0,49 liters per mile. The trip included the following stages:
113 km motorway (110-130 km/h)
54 km of temporary road due to road works between Kolomoen and Moelv (50-70 km/h)
60 km country road (80 km/h).

On the way home I measured the distance from Tretten to Kolomoen. Then almost completely out of range on the batteries. Before the motorway stretch, consumption ended up at 0,41 liters per mile after having been at 0,40 for a long time. An average speed of just under 70 km/h is ideal for keeping consumption down. The batteries were charged en route and contributed to the low consumption. The range remained between 0 and 1 km depending on the braking. The few times the batteries were absolutely dead, I noticed that the car no longer disengaged the gas engine when I let off the gas to roll. Then the engine braked normally. There is no doubt that hybrid cars run best when there is electricity on the batteries.

Facts

Why given factory figures (EU) are rarely real for hybrid cars
The consumption figures for EU consumption appear according to a norm based on two driving patterns - 1) Urban driving for approx. 13 minutes - approx. 4 km - with an average speed of 18,7 km/h and a top speed of 50 km/h. 2) Road driving for 6 minutes and 40 seconds - approx. 7 km - with an average speed of 62,6 and a top speed of 120 km/h. With a fully charged battery, hybrid cars can achieve very good results in such a test, e.g. almost 0 consumption in the urban driving mode. The problem is that on long journeys consumption will increase significantly because the cars no longer have fully charged batteries. For example, the plug-in hybrid car VW Golf GTE has a stated EU consumption of 1,6 l/100 km. This is only possible with a fully charged battery. The real consumption can therefore be much higher.

See

Cool driving lights and a blue stripe in the grill are the e-Golf's hallmark. — e-Golf.

Audi.no

When the lunch menu in Hvervenbukta was not to our liking, we drove to Mortens Kro in Gjelleråsen.

A3 Facelift — Cosmos Blue is a new color for the 2017 models.

Not many of them have hit the road yet. In fact, I have the benefit of seeing someone other than the one I'm driving. I'm told that Ingolstadt has put its production machinery into high gear to get out as many facelifted A3s as possible.

From what I have been able to map, the new A3 e-tron differs from its predecessor in the following areas: New grill, new headlights, new LED running lights, new rear lights, new diffuser, assistant systems, such as automatic warning and emergency braking in case of obstacles within city speeds , adaptive cruise control and lane assist that steers the car automatically at speeds above 60 km/h and warns with vibration in the steering wheel when you change lanes without blinking.

"My" car is in Cosmos Blue, a brand new color of the year. It appears alternately as black and blue, depending on the sunlight. I think the facelift is very successful. The most eye-catching are the new headlights and taillights - proper light circles replace the sad taillights of the predecessor. With sports seats in leather and alcantara, black lining in the roof, panoramic roof, Bang Olufsen and keyless start button, the A3 certainly appears in the premium class.

New grill, new headlights and running lights.

Same drivetrain

The hybrid drive is the same as before with the Volkswagen group's 1,4 liter TFSI engine with 150 horsepower and a 54 horsepower electric motor. I set up the drive so that I primarily drive on the electric motor as long as there is battery capacity. Theoretical mileage is 45 km, but I find that Audi's mileage is shorter than mine. Realistic mileage is in excess of 30 kilometers. For many, it is still enough to get to and from work without using petrol. But then you have to charge every day. For those who depend on external charging stations, it is not appropriate to rely on electricity as the main source of income. Of course, the car works well without charging. Because it charges while driving so that the electric motor can help when needed. The electric motor provides propulsion when starting and driving in parking areas, as well as providing an extra boost during acceleration.

Charging time with normal contact is otherwise 4 hours, and 2 hours on fast charging.

When we started, there were 25 kilometers left on pure electric power. We were on our way to have lunch in Hvervenbukta in Oslo. According to Google Maps, the distance there is exactly 19,3 kilometers. Even though I was extra light on the accelerator, the car had to switch to petrol about 1 km before we reached the destination. The temperature outside showed a pleasant 20 degrees, and several people were swimming, even though October is just around the corner.

When driving in electric mode, the car feels like a pure electric car. It seems more noise-insulated towards the road than the e-Golf, and thus more comfortable. Should you need a quick acceleration, the 150 horsepower is fired up. In urban areas, I get the feeling of driving an extremely large engine. Partly because of the solid bottom line, but also because of the sound level. When the petrol engine starts, it makes a low-frequency hum.

I had hoped to see Anne På Landet's great Food Truck - an extended Citroën Type H, but unfortunately it was not to be seen. The cafe, on the other hand, was open, but there was nothing on the menu that tempted my better half, so we chose to drive on. I myself wanted to taste the lamb sausages that are praised by so many.

We drove around Tyrigrava, but it was closed there. It's a shame that no one can get the service there back on its feet. We instead went out on the motorway to visit Mortens Kro at Gjelleråsen.

At highway speeds, the e-tron reminded me more and more of a regular A3. It is not exactly engine weak, but it seems as if it is mainly the petrol engine that is working. The soundscape has also been changed. Gone is the low-frequency hum.

Modern assistant systems

The biggest changes can be found in the car's assistant systems. The first thing I notice is how the car steers automatically at speeds above 60 km/h. Immediately, there is no good feeling when the wheels start to take on a life of their own. The steering is only a guide for the driver. If he lets go of the steering wheel, a warning will appear on the screen and then the car will brake quickly. If you end up with a wheel outside the road markings, the steering wheel vibrates. The function can be switched off. I chose to wear it, even though it often seemed that I was too far to the right in the road.

Automatic emergency braking comes into effect if, for example, a pedestrian is walking in front of the car. The function only applies at city speeds. This is a type of safety equipment that I believe will become standard on all cars in a few years. It is standard on the new e-tron.

You also get adaptive cruise control, but it was not installed on the tested car. With such equipment, the car can actually drive, steer and brake itself.

Like its predecessor, the new A3 is a good car to drive. It has 3 driving modes. I found the default setting "Auto" worked best. I would consider switching to "Dynamic" during fast highway driving. Then the steering becomes firmer and the throttle application comes more directly. I found no advantages in the Comfort setting. You can also set up an individual setup. As I said, "Auto" works perfectly.

More data on the dashboard

The most visible change inside is the digital dashboard. This can be configured to your own liking, if you take the time. I really liked getting the entire navigation map up on the instrument panel, and the "clocks" in reduced size (virtual cockpit). If you insert a SIM card into the computer unit inside the glove compartment, you can integrate the infotainment system with Google Maps. There should probably also be integration solutions for Apple equipment.

What I find out about the setting options while driving is limited. I started to get hungry, and thought it was important to stay focused on the traffic. Morten's Kro at Gjelleråsen is a timepiece. It has been around for as long as I can remember. A nice destination for a Sunday trip by car. I recognize the logo from the old days and look at pictures on the wall that show how the place looked then, - with an Opel Olympia outside with a panoramic window. The food tasted homemade and good.

You need additional equipment

If you choose the A3 e-tron Sport, you get a fairly well-equipped car, for an Audi. But several of the functions I have described are optional extras. It is difficult to get below 100 in extra equipment. That makes the new A000 e-tron a fantastic car, but the price is perhaps also the car's biggest disadvantage. In the Sport equipment variant, the base price is 3. When you add metallic paint, winter wheels and extras, the price quickly creeps up to 357. That's a lot of money for an A200.

If I were to put my finger on something, it would have to be the range of the batteries. A few extra miles would have made the car even more attractive to many. And by the way…