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Audi R8 e-tron Shows Up At 24 Hours Of Le Mans

 
2 1,149 views Jun 14, 2010
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Audi R8 e-tron at Le Mans

HI-RES GALLERY: Audi R8 e-tron at Le Mans

While most automakers are promoting their electric cars as a low cost and environmentally friendly option for urban commuting, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are taking a different route and are targeting the top end of town by promoting the performance aspects of electric propulsion--instantaneous torque.

Both Audi and Mercedes-Benz are racing to develop electric versions of their respective high-end sports cars, Audi with the R8 as a platform and Mercedes-Benz with the SLS AMG.

Audi appears to have the lead, having already shown off a concept version of its electric sports car, the R8 e-tron concept last year. Now the Ingolstadt-based automaker has taken the next step, presenting its R8 e-tron at one of the most important motorsport events on the calendar, this past weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela drove the purely electric powered sports car during the Le Mans vers le futur, a demonstration run for electric vehicles.

Not one, but four motors--two each on the front and rear axles--power the wheels of the Audi R8 e-tron, making the test vehicle a true quattro. With 313 horsepower and 3,319 pound-feet of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds. The top speed is limited to a relatively low (for a sports car) 125 mph, as the amount of energy required by the electric motors increases disproportionately to speed.

For more information on Audi’s future plans for its e-tron technology, check out our previous story by clicking here.

[Audi]





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Comments (2)

  1. By Roy Posted: 6/15/2010 10:10am PDT

    Any idea how long the battery will last at top speed? I would have thought this thing would only last 10 laps.

    I say this because GM expects to only get 40 miles (at 65 mph) out of the Volt, that it has spent 15 years developing (Impact..). Since Audi has spent much less time developing the electric R8, it can't possibly be better, right?
     
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  2. fb_100001137592380 avatar Yo Ma Posted: 6/15/2010 11:22am PDT

    @Roy by that reasoning, since Apple has only made phones for 3 years, and Nokia has been at it since 1985, iPhones can't possibly be better, right? These days, none of these guys develop their own tech where it matters. Battery development is way way outside the car companies' expertise. It's not how long you've been at it, but who adopts the latest tech quicker and who has the money for the latest prototype battery from Japan or China.
    If you were being sarcastic, then never mind :)
     
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