Thursday, May 16, 2013
The 2012 Audi R8 e tron Top Speed
Audi presents the highlight of the IAA 2009: the e-tron, a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels, making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 313 hp and 3,319 lb-ft of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0 – 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, and from 37 – 75 mph in 4.1 second
s. The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approxim
ately 154 miles.
After the E-tron concept and the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the R8 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This has turned out to be more than just a publicity stunt or science
experiment. Audi is serious about bringing this car to market and has taken the time to develop a completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version.
Having the exterior design of the car already completed and in supercar form it w
as an easier job for the Audi engineers to develop an electric version than if they
would have had to start from scratch. The mid-engine design of the R8 provides the perfect location to store heavy batteries without distorting the
weight balance that Audi wanted to achieve. In essence, this electric version should be able to compete on the same levels as its V8 and V10 brothers, but will it be as exhilarating?
They offer a total system output of 230kW (313hp) and maximum torque of 4,5
00Nm. We have triple-checked and yes, it says 4,500Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft)! These figures translate to a 0 - 100km/h time of 4.8 seconds, a top speed of 200km/h and a range of about 248km on full lithium-ion power.
Recharging the 213kg battery pack at the back to full capacity requires six to eight hours on a normal 220V outlet while a 400V plug will do the job in about two and a half hours.
