Luxury carmaker Audi (FWB:NSU, Financial) does not want to be left behind in the race of launching all-electric cars having similar features, if not advanced ones as seen in cars that run on gasoline. That’s why last week the management unwrapped certain details of the Audi R8 all-electric car version that would also be available in hybrid and gasoline options. In fact, this week Audi will be formally announcing the debut of this second generation Audi R8 sports car at the Geneva Motor Show. Let’s find out what exclusive features of the Audi R8 have been shared by the auto maker that is expecting to create it’s a thunderstorm in the EV market after its launch.
The details shared
The limited production, all-electric 2017 Audi R8 would feature special body panels to reduce the aerodynamic drag and there’s more carbon-fiber reinforced plastic to be used for aiding loss of weight while it sports a huge T-shaped lithium ion battery pack.
Though the launch timings of the R8 electric version still have not been provided from the company’s end, it is being assumed that this R8 version referred as the "all-electric e-tron" could be launched just a few months after the R8 gasoline version gets to the road around late-summer this year.
Unlike its predecessor, the new electric R8 would boast a larger 92-kWH battery pack which is nearly four times the capacity of the Nissan (NSANY, Financial) Leaf and would therefore be able to drive a range of up to 280 miles on a single charge. That’s a remarkable range to cover, unlike the previous version that had a driving range of 134 miles. This newer version would flaunt an on-board combined charging system which could charge the lithium pack in significantly less than two hours- hence, charging time is also not something to worry about in this new R8 e-tron version.
Also, the electric e-tron’s acceleration to 62 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds is a feature worth noting, and the top speed of 155 mph is an attractive point in the new electric version. The R8 e-tron would possibly have a rear-wheel drive plus an electromechanical brake system helping in high brake re-generation rates.
Audi is keeping all pictures of R8 e-tron under wraps before its unveiled formally at the Geneva Motor Show. But the automaker promised the crowd that this electric car would have a number of tweaks in its design and even then there would be eminent modifications in the wheels to lower the drag coefficient to 0.28.
Entering the known battlefield
It is speculated that this electric version of R8 would possibly compete with the BMW (BAMXY, Financial) i8 as well as other niche models operating in the EV segment. But one name has been mentioned several times during such discussion – Tesla (TSLA, Financial). It is expected that Audi’s R8 e-tron could offer tough competition to Tesla’s Model S that is presently selling like hot pancakes in the EV segment worldwide and with major emphasis on the U.S., though it’s not very sure whether this new electric car from Audi would be sold in the U.S.
The European luxury automaker has not revealed the sticker price of the EV, but analysts are hoping that the company would keep the cost at around $175,000 or higher. Looking at the revealed specs, it seems that Audi is out to challenge Tesla’s Model S which has similar features under the hood but reaches the acceleration mark of 60 mph in 3.1 seconds while the R8 reaches the same in about 3.9 seconds.
Last word
After the Audi’s R8 e-tron pictures and latest features are unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, things will be clearer as to whether this model would be a low volume model for the luxury automaker and what sort of competition it would spark with the Tesla’s Model S in the long run. In short, it seems that Audi is out to revolutionize the electric car segment with its latest offerings and the R8 e-tron is just the beginning of such a revolution. So, let’s stay tuned for the R8 e-tron’s latest update at the Geneva Motor Show where there’s obviously more to come.
