Audi A7 Sportback h-tron: A Germanic Fuel-Cell Concept
A new fuel-cell powered car showed up at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on the Audi A7, the A7 Sportback h-tron is the German manufacturer's offering to this emerging market.
Where the two other hydrogen-powered cars presented use the fuel cell as the only means of propulsion, Audi built a plug-in hybrid. The A7 Sportback h-tron is equipped with batteries and electric motors that power the front and rear axles (a system that comes from the A3 Sportback e-tron). The car can then cover around 50 kilometres on electric power alone, while still offering an all-wheel drive system.
As for the fuel-cell, it works like all the others: hydrogen is sent to an anode, which separates the protons and electrons. The protons pass through a membrane and are collected by the cathode. There, they react with oxygen in the air to create water vapor. In the meantime, the electrons that are still on the anode generate an electric current.
The car advertises a total range of around 500 kilometers, and it is possible to refuel it in less than 3 minutes. If the accelerator is floored, both systems work in tandem, allowing the car to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. It may not be a dragster, but it’s much faster than the other hydrogen cars on the market.
Audi says that they are ready to launch the car as soon as the refueling infrastructure will allow it.