Audi R8 supercar goes electric
German heavyweight ups the EV ante with futuristic electric supercar with 4500Nm!It looks like something out of a science fiction movie... Or the kind of bling West Coast Customs might add to an Audi R8. But it's actually a concept version of Audi's supercar that doesn't have a V8 or a V10 in sight.
In fact, it doesn't need petrol at all. Instead it's powered by four electric motors – one for each wheel.
The e-tron, as Audi has dubbed it, has a combined output of 230kW and 4500Nm – that last figure is not a misprint, the torque of electric motors is huge. Not surprisingly it can accelerate from rest to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds on the way to a limited top speed of 200km/h and has a driving range of 248km.
Recharge time is between six and eight hours, or less than two hours on a fast charger. Check out the inside info on the car's internal technology -- the way it generates its power is astonishing.
And e-tron has a few other electriconic tricks up its sleeve, including an experimental version of Audi's car-to-car or car-to-infrastructure technology. For example, if a car equipped with the technology has crashed on the road ahead, it can send a signal to the e-tron to slow down in time to avoid another crash.
The e-tron looks at a glance like an Audi R8 with some chrome, but in fact there are significant changes. The body has been modified to accommodate the removal of the side air vents. And the headlights are an experimental free flow design that follows the contour of the body, possible now thanks to new LED technology. It means that designers can use smaller headlight area to create the same level of illumination as more conventional lamps.
The thin-spoke alloy wheels look elegant but also serve two purposes: they are designed to be more aero efficient, and help cool the brakes.
As with most electric cars, the e-tron uses regenerative braking to recharge the onboard battery pack.
Audi says there are no plans to bring the e-tron into production but clearly the technology could be quickly adapted should the company find enough motivation – and enough customers.
Look out for carsales Network's technical reveal of the e-tron later today and don't miss the Carsales Network’s Frankfurt show preview and brand-by-brand summaries. Frankfurt show news and first drives will continue in the days to come.
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