The sky, space in fact, is the limit! The electrification of the automobile will bring tremendous change with benefits that far outweigh the downsides. I'm talking about performance, handling, the all-important fun-to-drive factor and, as a bonus, no emissions from the tailpipes.
The electric car need not be boring. Audi, and many other manufacturers, are seeing to that. They may not be alone on this crusade, but Audi will bring its own unique signature twists to as many of these products as it can.
Enter the R8 e-tron. As the “numero uno” member of Audi's e-Performance program, this stunning car has it all where it counts. To be considered part of e-Performance, the car must be powered by a high power and energy battery. This one is.
As you will explore my reviews on the three electrified Audi products I got to briefly drive, you will note that the Ingolstadt-based car company is not pigeon-holing itself into one specific manner of electrification. In fact, the three different vehicles I got to were all motivated by distinct applications of electric power.
4 motors
The R8 e-tron is by far the most flamboyant and enticing of the three. The car you see in the pictures is a working pre-production prototype. Other than the sheetmetal, what makes this car stand out is its four electric motors, known as asynchronous motors, each working its own wheel. That's right, e-quattro...
There is no mechanical link between each wheel, which is very interesting as it is conceivable that the car could be driven by a single wheel. For coasting, this could be a way to reduce battery depletion. There I go pretending to be an engineer...
It is important to note that this setup is not solely for performance. Audi is having fun with the R8 but this is a modular system (meaning that its application is possible on a large scale) that can and will be the source of motivation for other sports cars all the way down to small cars.
What will change are the output numbers. The R8 e-tron is a powerhouse; its peak yield is of 230 kW or 313 hp. Torque amounts are astronomical: 4,500 Nm or 3,319.03 lb-ft, at the wheels, available from zero. It's no surprise then that the R8 e-tron launches to 100 km/h in only 4.8 seconds.
This time may be off by about a second on the R8 5.2, but the kick-in-the-pants is that much more impressive.
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| The R8 e-tron is the “numero uno” member of Audi's e-Performance program, this stunning car has it all where it counts. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
The electric car need not be boring. Audi, and many other manufacturers, are seeing to that. They may not be alone on this crusade, but Audi will bring its own unique signature twists to as many of these products as it can.
Enter the R8 e-tron. As the “numero uno” member of Audi's e-Performance program, this stunning car has it all where it counts. To be considered part of e-Performance, the car must be powered by a high power and energy battery. This one is.
As you will explore my reviews on the three electrified Audi products I got to briefly drive, you will note that the Ingolstadt-based car company is not pigeon-holing itself into one specific manner of electrification. In fact, the three different vehicles I got to were all motivated by distinct applications of electric power.
4 motors
The R8 e-tron is by far the most flamboyant and enticing of the three. The car you see in the pictures is a working pre-production prototype. Other than the sheetmetal, what makes this car stand out is its four electric motors, known as asynchronous motors, each working its own wheel. That's right, e-quattro...
There is no mechanical link between each wheel, which is very interesting as it is conceivable that the car could be driven by a single wheel. For coasting, this could be a way to reduce battery depletion. There I go pretending to be an engineer...
It is important to note that this setup is not solely for performance. Audi is having fun with the R8 but this is a modular system (meaning that its application is possible on a large scale) that can and will be the source of motivation for other sports cars all the way down to small cars.
What will change are the output numbers. The R8 e-tron is a powerhouse; its peak yield is of 230 kW or 313 hp. Torque amounts are astronomical: 4,500 Nm or 3,319.03 lb-ft, at the wheels, available from zero. It's no surprise then that the R8 e-tron launches to 100 km/h in only 4.8 seconds.
This time may be off by about a second on the R8 5.2, but the kick-in-the-pants is that much more impressive.
 |
| The R8 e-tron is a powerhouse; its peak yield is of 230 kW or 313 hp. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |