Audi Developing Regenerative Suspension For The Future

Audi is reportedly developing new suspension technology that is said to be capable of generating electricity for use by the car's hybrid system.

The technology is said be able to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy for use by the car's batteries. While Audi is hush-hush about the workings of the new system, there are some rumours and speculation floating around on the web about how the system is going to work.

As a normal car moves across bumpy roads, the suspension dampers can get heated up to a temperature of around 100 to 125 degrees Celsius. This heat (or kinetic energy) is normally lost to the atmosphere.

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What Audi is working on now is a system where this energy is harnessed by ‘suspension generator' (according to Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's research and development chief, talking to Auto Express) installed in the damper that could possibly spin as the suspension compresses. The energy is then stored for use by the car's batteries in Audi's hybrid cars.

This regenerative suspension technology could be especially useful in Audi's future performance cars, since it would allow ‘an independently variable suspension'. Don't expect this new tech to reach Audi cars any time soon, as it will be several years before it is ready for implementation into Audi's line up.