Next Audi R8 to trade V10 for battery power

Audi will turn its back on the internal combustion engine with its next-generation R8 due in 2022, it has been revealed, by introducing a pioneering new pure-electric-powered supercar.

Pensioning off the current Audi R8's wild normally-aspirated 5.2-litre V10, which has been in service since 2009, the German car-maker all-new third-generation R8 will rely on an advanced three-motor electric powertrain that, according to

Combined with an energy-dense lithium-ion battery pack and a high-flow inverter that feeds enough current to generate extreme levels of power, the pure-electric R8 promises levels of acceleration to humble a Bugatti Chiron.

Almost certain to draw direct inspiration from the PB18 e-tron concept, which was revealed at last month's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the third-gen R8 is even rumoured to improve on that concept's claimed performance figures.

Against the clock, the PB18 e-tron was said to be capable of hitting 100km/h in less than two seconds and topping out at 300km/h.

The switch to a battery-powered supercar makes sense for Audi.

Back in 2013, it experimented with the concept of a battery-powered supercar by creating a limited-run R8-based e-tron.

The difference is that, this time, the Mk3 Audi R8 will not come with even the option of conventional petrol or even hybrid power.

The next R8 will follow Audi's rapid expansion into pure-electric vehicles that starts next year with the launch of the e-tron SUV.

By 2025, Audi has declared it plans to sell 800,000 EVs annually – with battery-powered vehicles making up a third of all sales.

Originally, Audi had cancelled plans to replace the R8 altogether, says Autocar, following the current car's disappointing sales performance of 1500 cars a year in Europe – half the number of peak sales for the first-generation supercar.

It's now thought the need for a pure-electric performance flagship has been justified following the rapid expansion into EVs -- especially in markets like China, which is already imposing limits on the sale of conventional combustion vehicles.

Helping lower development cost of the next Audi R8, the pure-electric supercar could sit on the same J1 platform that was originally developed for the Porsche Taycan (Mission E).

Even if it doesn't, expect the hypercar-fast Audi to share some of the Taycan's tech, especially since Audi will launch another high-performance pure-electric supercar before the R8.

Not to be confused with the more rakish e-tron Sportback, the e-tron GT will be developed by Audi Sport and feature a two-door, four-seat design and two or three electric motors that will produce at least 600kW.

Set to be on sale as soon as 2020, the e-tron GT will be made at the same factory as the current R8, in Neckarslum in Germany.