Recuperation?

[tel]

The new Audi goes on about fuel efficiency and charging the battery.

What's this all about?

I'm not much into automotive technicalities but isn't the battery charged by the engine - charging it by recovering energy from braking does not stop the engine using fuel so where's the saving?

I think this ad should be banned.

[Snoopy]

I think you will find that the turning of the wheels is what charges the battery ~ not running the engine ........ but I am prepared to be corrected on that.

[Barman]

I haven't seen the ad but regenerative breaking can turn energy that is normally wasted as heat into electricity to charge the battery.

Conversely, while the engine may be running, charging the battery will create extra load and therefore require more fuel...

[Miss Demeanour]

but you can't iron a shirt 

[The Moan Ranger]

The battery is normally charged by the alternator, which is driven by the engine. Using the wasted heat from braking to charge the battery means that a smaller alternator can be used - this in turn will require a smaller % of the engine power, thus less petrol.

Prolly.

When racing our motorbikes, we ditch the entire charging system as it not only saves weight, it means the engine can just get on with turning the back wheel. It does, of course, mean that we have to charge the battery separately.

[tel]

But the engine is still potentially generating electrickery, which is now wasted?

[Barman]

but you can't iron a shirt 

We're about to find out...