Audi "eROT", replacing traditional shock absorbers with simple electric motors

One of the advertising slogans of the German brand with the four rings is “At the forefront of technology.” Perhaps it is because they study and seek out that technological edge that could give them some advantage over their main rivals. The latest is this suspension prototype that could arrive next year on one of its future electrified vehicles.

It is called eROT, and its operation can save a few tenths of fuel when used with conventional or hybrid vehicles, and increase the total range of 100% electric cars.

The eROT suspension system is very simple to understand. Audi has replaced the traditional telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers with simple electric motors that will act as shock absorbers. Stefan Knirsch, Technical Director of Audi AG, could not have described the operating principle more simply: “Every unevenness, every pothole, every curve induces kinetic energy in the car. Current shock absorbers absorb that energy, which is lost as heat. With the new electromechanical damper together with the 48-volt electrical system, we put that energy to use.”

Another major advantage, in addition to recovering energy from every minor unevenness in the road, is the great potential for configuring the suspension system. In current suspension systems with a telescopic hydraulic damper, the extension force usually depends on the compression force at any unevenness; a pending issue, since that equality is not desirable in all conditions, and this suspension can solve it in one stroke.

On the other hand, Audi tells us that its installation is horizontal in the vehicle. This is very beneficial at the rear axle, since traditional suspension systems tend to reduce boot volume and create irregular shapes in it, which reduces the real loading possibilities.

What we do not know is the approximate extra price this suspension system could add to some of its mid-size vehicles since, we imagine, it will not be exactly cheap in its early stages.

The German brand says in its press release that in its tests on German roads the approximate environmental saving in normal use is 0.3 grams of CO2 per kilometre. Surely in Spain, both in the city and on the open road, the saving is much greater…

Source: Audi