Now, the German automaker has just revealed plans for a cutting-edge system that can make electricity from the kinetic energy of the suspension. The technology is not new as a patent for such a technology was filed way back in 2005, but Audi would be the first mainstream automaker to use it in a production car. We've already seen technology like brake energy recuperation and exhaust gas recirculation, which helps in saving fuel and a regenerative suspension just adds to this bid.
Regular suspension dampers dissipate the force of hitting a pothole or a speed bump as heat and that's energy which gets wasted. What Audi has done is replace the vertical shocks with horizontal motors and so the power power goes there through a lever arm and a set of gears. The motor than converts this movement into electricity which gets stored in the, yes, you got that right, 48-volt battery. Audi has in fact christened this system and it's called the eROT (electromechanical rotary dampers).
eROT Suspension and Electric Motor
According to the folks at Audi, the eROT can produce between 3 and 613 watts of energy, depending on how bad the road is. The average, they say, is about 100 to 150 watts but it hasn't been specified whether it's the amount of electricity produced per kilometer. We are sure it'll be more, if the technology came to India. Imagine, you save energy thanks to potholes, win-win, right?
Audi also points out that the system allows you to tune the suspension too, as compression and rebound rates can be separated. Audi claims it's more compact than conventional suspension too, which means there's more boot space on offer.
"Every pothole, every bump, every curve induces kinetic energy in the car. Today's dampers absorb this energy, which is lost in the form of heat. With the new electromechanical damper system in the 48-volt electrical system, we put this energy to use," Dr. Ing Stefan Knirsch, Audi board member for technical development explains.
For now, the technology is still in its early testing phases but we can't wait to see the 48-volt system make its way into the Q6 hybrid crossover.
