Audi announces production e-tron

Just a few weeks ago, in the lead-up to the Frankfurt motor show, Audi's US president, Johan de Nysschen, made world news by calling GM's upcoming Volt "a car for idiots", telling media that electric vehicles are "for the intellectual elite who want to show what enlightened souls they are".

This, no doubt, was to heighten the impact of the e-tron super-EV with which Audi subsequently stole the show at Frankfurt.

Now the company has announced it's working on a production version.

An all-electric powertrain will comprise but one option on the company's R4 platform, designed to fill the gap between the VW Golf-based TT and the R8 on which the e-tron concept was built.

The car will also be available with petrol power, and given Audi's outspoken commitment to clean diesel, probably oil-burner options as well. The car is expected to share internal combustion options with the TT.

No details yet on precise plans for the EV drivetrain, but you can bet it will deliver power to the road through all four wheels. It's likely, however, to be less radical than the monster (470 kg) battery pack and four wheel motors giving the e-tron a respectable 230 kilowatts and a gobsmacking 4500Nm of torque.

Given its prospective niche below the R8, it would be surprising if it extended itself to the e-tron's advanced heating and cooling technologies and astonishing levels of automation.

Web reports suggest the zero-emission R4 could hit the road as early as 2011, with de Nysschen telling Automotive News to expect to see "running examples" of the new model appearing "within the next 24 months".

UK webzine Auto Express reports R4 prices are likely to start "around £35,000" -- a smidge above the entry price for a TTS.

The company is working on a couple of charging options aimed at reducing the shortcomings normally associated with electric power. When the car comes out, expect to see on its options list a fast-charge system capable of recharging the battery from empty in a little over two hours, and a system that starts recharging automatically when the car pulls into its garage.

With Porsche now in residence alongside Audi under the Volkswagen umbrella, the two marques are looking at a platform sharing deal which could see it turning up in next-gen Boxster/Cayman clothing as well.

Weight saving components will include Audi's lightweight aluminium spaceframe, with carbon fibre body parts.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi.