In a display of confidence, Audi is putting the reputation of its TDI (turbo charged direct injection) clean-diesel technology to a marathon, and highly public, endurance test.

Audi USA is planning to drive a fleet of 23 cars from the Audi Q7, Audi Q5, Audi A4 and Audi A3 lines, all powered by TDI diesel engines, from New York all the way to Los Angeles. The Audi Q7, Audi Q5 and Audi A4 will all feature the new 3.0L TDI V-6 engine, while the Audi A3 will sport the 2.0L TDI inline-four-cylinder. All of the cars will feature Audi’s ultra-low emissions system, which the company reduces nitrogen oxides by 90%.

A quick check on Google maps puts this at 2,776 miles (4,470 km). But that’s not good enough for Audi, they’re planning detours through several major cities, including Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and several natural wonders including Badlands National Park, Grand Canyon and Death Valley, for a total of 4,800 miles (7,700 km). Not only that, but they plan to do this in just two weeks.

There is a serious point to all this – as well as raising the profile of diesel as a fuel efficient power plant in the USA. The route comprises a realistic mix of urban and rural driving on highways and country roads under conditions that come close to everyday driving. In essence, Audi are making a serious attempt to test reliability and actual fuel efficiency under real-world driving conditions.

The fleet will leave New York on 5^th October and assuming all goes to plan, will arrive in Los Angeles on 20^th October. It should be interesting to see how well they do.