At the dawn of the Paris Motor Show, Audi’s head of technical development, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, has confirmed that the revised 2015 R8 will be available as an electric e-tron model with a range of 250 miles.
The R8 e-tron concept first appeared in 2009 and was planned to hit production in 2013, but development was discontinued by Hackenberg’s predecessor. When Hackenberg succeeded as head of technical development, he resurrected the project and set a goal of 250 miles for it to be viable for production. That time is now.
Additionally, a plug-in hybrid variant may join the R8 e-tron. If it’s a go, it likely will use the powertrain from the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4, which Motrolix wrote about yesterday. The Lamborghini uses the V10 from the Huracán paired with three electric motors that produce almost 900 horsepower in total.
“You can make it with less power, too. The [Asterion] chassis isn’t the same as the R8, but the powertrain fits, so a plug-in hybrid is definitely a possibility,” Hackenberg told Auto Express. “The hybrid system is an engine, gearbox, electric motors and power electronics. It’s a package; it’s just a case of making it fit.”
No Comments yet