Audi has filed a patent application describing a new range-extender powertrain that could combine electric driving, all-wheel-drive capability and gasoline-powered battery charging without using a dedicated generator. The system, detailed in newly published patent application 20260217104, uses a secondary electric motor that can perform two different jobs depending on the vehicle’s needs.
Audi’s Different Approach to Electrification
With hybrids becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the U.S. amid a slowdown in EV sales growth following the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit last year, automakers appear to be exploring ways to extract more capability from their powertrain systems.
Last month, a Porsche patent application was published describing a system that combines EV, extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and hybrid capabilities in a single package. Now, fellow Volkswagen Group brand Audi has introduced another approach through its newly published patent application.
Audi’s proposal centers on a range-extender powertrain designed to reduce costs by eliminating a dedicated generator. Instead, the system uses a secondary electric motor to charge the battery when needed.
One Electric Motor With Two Roles
The proposed setup uses a primary electric motor to drive one axle. The secondary motor can drive the other axle when additional performance or all-wheel drive is required.
When the battery needs to be charged, however, the system disconnects the secondary motor from the axle and connects it to the gasoline engine. The engine then spins the electric motor, allowing it to operate as a generator.
In other words, the secondary motor can either drive an axle or generate electricity, but it cannot perform both functions simultaneously. By eliminating the need for a separate generator and its associated hardware, Audi’s design could reduce costs.
How Audi’s System Differs From a Hybrid
The proposed powertrain is closer to an extended-range electric vehicle than a plug-in or conventional hybrid because the combustion engine does not mechanically drive the wheels.
For drivers, that setup could provide an experience closer to an all-electric vehicle while retaining the ability to refuel at a traditional gas station. The arrangement could also reduce range anxiety.
The Trade-Off During Range-Extender Charging
Audi’s approach could offer cost advantages, but the patent also reveals a potential performance compromise. Because the secondary motor cannot propel its axle while generating electricity, the vehicle would not have all-wheel-drive capability or full dual-motor output while the range extender is charging the battery.
The system would also require careful calibration to ensure smooth transitions between charging and all-wheel-drive modes. Those transitions would need to occur without significant delays or abrupt changes.
A Patent Does Not Confirm Production Plans
As with most patent filings, Audi’s application does not mean the automaker plans to put the powertrain into production. The application may have been filed to preserve options for future products or to prevent competitors from copying the design.
For now, the patent outlines an approach in which a secondary electric motor switches between driving an axle and generating electricity, allowing Audi to pursue range-extender capability without a dedicated generator.
