Audi looks to electronic driver trainers to save fuel

At its recent TechDay 2007 seminar in Germany, Audi talked up a new system under development that’ll analyze driver behavior and give fuel saving driving tips to help curb fuel consumption. Some of the initiatives include plans for a satnav system that records “consumption-relevant data” as well as the previously mentioned electronic driver trainer that will be “able to analyze the current driving style and give tips accordingly.”

Audi wants to emphasize the point that individual driving styles can dramatically affect fuel-consumption levels, mentioning that it’s possible to reduce consumption by up to 30% without having to compromise “speed and dynamism.” Officials also revealed that they expect the conventional combustion engine to remain for years to come, despite advances in hybrid and alternative fuel powered vehicles.

Other technologies the carmaker talked about include new TFSI engines that can run on compressed natural gas as well as its new ‘Modular Efficiency’ program. This latter feature is similar to BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology and works by restoring energy from braking to create electric energy to relieve the load on the alternator and thus save fuel.