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Audi Tipped to Put E-TRON Concept Into Production

Filed under: Wheels, Green



If you still think that electric cars have to be small, weird, uncouth modes of transportation for tree-hugging hippies, may we suggest you look to Germany's latest. At the recently-concluded Frankfurt auto show, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all took the wraps off exotic supercars that will at some point arrive on the market with electric power.

The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept, unveiled in Frankfurt, is tipped to give birth to a new hybrid sportscar from the Bavarian automaker. The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, also unveiled in Frankfurt, is confirmed to breed an electric version. And the Audi e-tron concept, debuted in – you guessed it – Frankfurt – showed the way for what an all-electric version of the company's popular R8 sportscar could look like.

Now reports indicate that Audi is preparing to put the e-tron into production, with working prototypes expected to begin testing within the next two years. Packing four electric motors and a lithium-ion battery, the electric R8 produces a modest 313 horsepower but an absolutely bonkers 3,319 lb-ft of torque, firmly leaving those little electric city cars in its clean wake.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Audi e-tron Concept

Filed under: Wheels, Green



The Audi R8 ranks among the fastest cars you're likely to see on the road, but the German automaker isn't about to rest on its proverbial laurels. After the V8 version came the 5.2-liter V10, and while the turbo-diesel V12 TDI version never made it past the concept stage, Audi has tantalized the torque-happy alternative-energy crowd with the e-tron concept.

Based on the R8 and unveiled last week in Frankfurt, the e-tron replaces the gasoline-burning engine in the existing supercar with no less than four electric motors and an enormous lithium-ion battery pack to supply it with juice. The result? A relatively modest 313 horsepower, but an absolutely bonkers 3,319 lb-ft of torque. And no, that's not a typo: it really does have more than ten times the torque of most of the cars. To go with the alternative power, Audi updated the e-tron's design details. But don't take our word for it: have a look for yourself in our high-resolution photo gallery below.




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