German automaker Audi is definitely making a go at electric vehicles, and so far they’ve had some success…at least on the track. The Audi F12 e Sport is the company’s latest electric effort, and while it keeps the supercar looks, the engineers went for a decidedly more practical application of the electric drivetrain that can be used in everything from crossovers to city-cars.
The Audi F12 e Sport can be mistaken for the Audi R8 e-tron supercar because, well, the two vehicles use the very same chassis. But the difference lies in the battery pack and electric drivetrain, which in the F12 was jointly developed by Audi, Bosch, and university researchers. The lithium-ion battery pack delivers 38 kWh of power, a little less than the Audi R8 e-tron, sending power to three electric motors. At low speeds, the electric motor at the front wheels drives the Audi F12 e Sport in a manner that saves energy. At higher speeds, two rear-mounted electric motors propel the car in conjunction with the front motor. The combined power output of this electric motor trio is a respectable 204 horsepower and 405 ft-lbs of torque.
A heat pump keeps the battery cool, though the batteries can also store heat to help warm up the Audi F12 on cool days. Most functions in the electric Audi are controlled by a removable tablet, another nifty feature that could one day find its way into a variety of battery-powered Audi vehicles.
This more practical approach to electric vehicles may help put Audi on top of the European EV game. But for my money, the Audi R8 e-tron and Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive need to duke it out for electric dominance before I’ll be happy.
Source: Audi
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