Former Audi Sports chief Roland Gempert and former F1 driver Heinz-Herald Frentzen are teaming up to race a hybrid racer on the notorious Nurburgring. The Gempert Apollo race car will race in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring using a hybrid drive train that produces up to 800 horsepower. The race team states that the vehicle could travel up to 31 miles on electrical power if the gas engine putters out.

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The head of Audi continues the trend among German automakers in recent months toward developing marketable electric cars. Rupert Stadler from Audi has said that the venerable German company will create electric cars in Europe by 2018. The rationale given by Stadler for Audi’s new commitment to electric-powered vehicles is the accelerated affordability of electrical components. Audi is following competitors like Mercedes-Benz and BMW toward the lucrative global market for zero-emission vehicles.

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