Audi RS range to avoid hybrid power, for now
Audi says it won’t be producing hybrid RS cars until tech improves
It seems Audi's RS range will make do with combustion power for some time, as rumblings from the performance division confirm it won’t be using hybrid powertrains until technology improves.
Audi is no stranger to hybrid power, making good use of it in its dominant R18 Le Mans cars. It also produces an all-electric version of the Audi A3, and the R8 e-tron project was recently given a new breath of life, confirming electric development is ongoing in Ingolstadt.
>Read – Audi R8 e-tron ‘not dead’
But when equipping its current RS performance cars with electric assistance, the German marque has suggested the weight penalty of current batteries is too much.
The performance advantage of torquey electric motors is clear, with the trio of halo cars from Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren being joined by the impressive BMW i8 to cement hybrid power in the realms of performance driving.
>Read – Audi RS3: everything you need to know
But still, Audi remains unconvinced it’d be much use in its heavier super-saloons and hatches. However, as battery tech continues to decrease their weight, surely Audi will one day have to consider electric population alongside its range of turbocharged combustion engines.
Watch how the twin-turbo V8 Audi RS6 fared against Vauxhall's VXR8 in our track battle below
