Reports surfaced late last year that Audi had cancelled its Q5 hybrid plans, but it appears as though a gas-electric Q5 isn’t completely out of the cards. In fact, a hybrid version of the Q5 could be on U.S. shores by late 2010.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Wolfgang Hatz, head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen group, revealed that a Q5 Hybrid is still in the pipeline. Hatz admitted that diesel is still the preferred green tech within Audi , but also said the company has “to do hybrids in order to show people that we are able to do them.”
The gas version of the Q5 will hit the market in March, but buyers wanting a little extra fuel economy will have to wait until late 2010 for the hybrid version. No specs have been announced for the Q5 Hybrid, but it will likely use nickel metal hydride batteries instead of lithium-ion batteries. The Q5 Hybrid will first launch in the U.S. market, but could be sold in Europe.
The Q5’s hybrid system will likely spread to other models to keep costs low, but the SUV’s larger brother – the Q7 – likely won’t see the fuel-saving technology.
