16 September 2009 - 15:00
Frankfurt show: Audi E-Tron
There are not enough cars named after early 1980s sci-fi films. Rectifying this blatant shortfall comes the Audi E-Tron, an all-electric R8-based concept packing a ridiculous 3,319lb ft of torque.
That's about 10 times that of the V8-powered R8, thanks to four electric motors, one in each wheel. The E-Tron's power figure isn't quite so prodigious, standing at 309bhp, around 100bhp down on the V8 petrol R8.
Performance isn't quite as extreme as the huge torque figure might suggest, with 60mph arriving in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
The relatively modest acceleration owes more to the difficulty of managing the massive torque than the E-Tron's kerbweight: in fact, at around 1,480kg, it weighs slightly less than the petrol R8, thanks to an aluminium spaceframe and carbon-fibre-plastic body panels.
The battery is mounted just in front of the rear axle, providing near-perfect 48-52 front-rear weight distribution. Audi says the E-Tron will manage around 150 miles on a single charge, and will take around six to eight hours to fully recharge the lithium ion battery pack from a household plug socket.
Audi sources say that, with an improvement in electric infrastructure, the E-Tron could reach production by 2012.
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Aha. I was wondering how long it would take before wheel motors would make a grand entrance like this (or have they already?). Compared to a more "conventional" single electric motor, this system does not suffer from energy loss through moving bits before getting to the wheels. I guess that's where the massive torque comes from. But the added weight to each wheel won't be good for the handling... Maybe those rims are designed the way they are to hide the ugly magnets on the inside? Either way, it looks promising.
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i don't like it.those rims are horrible.they have so many spokes and everyone knows anything in excess is bad or you..case of point,look at what that shedload of torque does for the car?
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It looks really small. And why with over 3000lb ft does it barely outstrip a Tesla? Electric cars always sound like the solution, but then fall short in some big way. And soon they'll be everywhere! I hate the future sometimes...
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"CO2 won't be coming out of the car but from the chimney of the power plant."...yes, but power plants work much more efficent than combustion engines! So that's an improvement.
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Probably named after Tron because there is a new Tron movie coming out later this year...
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Looks great imo, the 4 independent motors certainly seems like a step in the right direction. Now they just need to drop a hydrogen fuel cell in it. With just batteries its no better than a petrol or diesel engine.
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Unfortunately, the massive torque ruins the technological achievement. This is like a Mercedes AMG squared: so much torque, it can make the earth spin backwards.
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Dontw8 - It's a minor improvement but hardly a solution.
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It is a biblical amount of torque, but I suspect that if anyone has an all wheel drive system that can handle it, its Audi... Oh, and Hooray for wheel mounted electric motors!
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The poor performance in relation to the torque is a poor excuse. If a bloke in Birmingham can get his Vauxhall Victor to hit 60mph in just ONE second, (all be it with 2,000bhp, but still keeping it road legal) i'm sure Audi can solve a simple torque issue.
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the one and only thing i like about this car arw the headlights
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Its just a concept, so we will never see it on the road like that. The performance and torque relation does not make sense to me, just if there is a torque limiter somewhere preventing the concept thing to fall apart. I am sure that would not be the case for a production car. Think about Diesel - nothing can beat torque, so that would be awesome. The design? It carries R8 design elements but it does not excite me in the same way.
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Just forget eletric engines. We all need to improve petrol and diesel engines. Minimize displacement, emissions and mpg, maximize power and torque. Eletric cars is a solution for later years. . . 2020 or 2040. . . This is just one step for nothing. People dont need EV now. Just later!!!!
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3,319lb ft of torque... ARE YOU SERIOUS???? Who ever decided to give it this much torque must be out of their mind...
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3,319 pounds feet of torque.... of course if they put 3,320 they thought we'd know their lying
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They said it has 3,319 LB feet of torque because it'll do 3,319 feet before it runs out of electricity.
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Hehe, here in Peru it would work fine... almost all our electricity comes from hydro-electrical plants (you know, those collecting the kinetic power from the streams)... ...Anyway, with the minimum legal wage at US$200 per month, we would need one thousand months eating air and sleeping in the streets to be able to afford one. I'll start saving.
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I was waiting for someone to name the hallowed film in relation to 'leccy car design. Suppose it's as well to be used for something you might, sort of, conceivably want anyway so that's a plus. In reality though this just isn't going to work is it? The torque figure is truly ridiculous, the top speed positively disappointing and the acceleration well, disappointing. And then there's the range to really kill things off.....nice try Audi but ultimately no thanks....
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I love the blasting every single EV/PIH gets in the comments, sometimes deservedly, often not, but usually with some cheap shot about running out of electricity after a mile or two. @chickenfeed - EVs in a country where electricity as backward as the UK - where electricity is generated mostly by coal, gas and nuclear in that order, with a very small contribution from renewable - is still a hell of a lot better. First of all those power stations are much more efficient than the engine in your car, the contribution from nuclear also reduces the carbon output per joule. Secondly, oil doesn't have to be shipped from the Middle East which has its own carbon implications. @keen88 - See above. And a hydrogen fuel cell is not much better than batteries. Hydrogen can't be dug up from the ground in a near-pure form like oil can - it's not a fuel in the same sense. It has to be separated, which needs electricity. Golden rule: you don't get more out than you put in.
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WobyTides - Most countries are backward when it comes to power. You are right about the nuclear power but some countries still run diesel generators in the power plant, fuel for which does come from the Middle East. What I am trying to say is that if you are concerned about the environment enough to think about one of these things you should also know where the power you're using to recharge it is coming from. If it's a renewable source, fine. But if not you shouldn't feel too smug.
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Bloody electric cars. We don't want them so they can eff right off. Nothing beats the sound of a V12 being fired-up. Electricity is for computers and televisions, not cars. Therefore, and I don't care how fast it is, the electric R8 is a seriously crap car.
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Instead of electric cars, I want more like the Honda Clarity. Way better than Mr Sparko.
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aweful rims...!
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Rather ugly, even for a concept. I think the R8 looks nice, but this came out bad.
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The poor(-ish) acceleration is probably not just a matter of applying the torque to the tarmac. It's more likely to do with how many kiloWatts the battery can put out. The huge torque will still come in handy during breaking though. For the few who may care about stopping.
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chickenfeed commented on this article
15 September 2009
Charged using a household plug socket. So the CO2 won't be coming out of the car but from the chimney of the power plant.
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