Audi R8 e-tron to return

Audi has more than doubled the driving range of its revolutionary all-electric supercar, the R8 e-tron, to finally give the oft-cancelled electric sports car a production future.

Just not yet.

Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler yesterday admitted it had “technologies up our sleeve” to deliver enough range to make the R8 e-tron a credible sports car alternative.

“In the next generation we will receive customer orders, mostly because 450km is a bit of an improvement on typical electric vehicles today,” he said.

Board Member for Technical Development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, today confirmed the current R8 e-tron’s range had been boosted from 215km to 450km.

While the electric supercar, whose production future was canned half a generation ago because of a perceived lack of demand, has improved, it won’t arrive until after the next-generation R8 arrives.

While the new R8, which will share the new Lamborghini Huracan’s hybrid space-frame aluminium/carbon-fibre chassis architecture, arrives in 2015, the R8 e-tron might wait even longer, and will be far more specialised.

“We have decided to offer the next-generation R8 e-tron as a manufactured sports car on request,” Dr Hackenberg said.

“And we will make intensive use of the next generation of the R8 e-tron as an open technology carrier and working instrument for our engineers to test and further develop technologies for the future.”

Dr Hackenberg insisted that while the current R8 e-tron was cancelled as a production car, development of the high-tech sports car never stopped within the company.

“In recent months, I have had a very close look at these electric high-performance sports cars with my team and the latest development is very convincing.

“We have increased their range from 215 to approximately 450km, which is a decisive step towards everyday practicality.

“This significant step is the result of progress with battery technology and a revised package with a considerably higher power density. We have made significant gains with mechanical as well as electrical and electronic components of the R8 e-tron.”

Register to comment on this article.