Next Audi R8 Could Use The Asterion’s Hybrid Drivetrain

Last week the Lamborghini Asterion debuted with an incredible 910 horsepower hybrid drivetrain…that they have no intention of producing, apparently. But don’t fret, because the next-gen Audi R8 could end up using the Asterion’s drivetrain for a plug-in hybrid performance model, reports Car Magazine.

Slated to arrive in the summer of 2015 is an all-new Audi R8, and it will bring with it a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, and interestingly enough, Audi R&D board member Ulrich Hackenberg mentioned that the R8 shares the same platform as the Lamborghini Asterion. Is that a hint that the Lamborghini concept and the production plug-in R8 could share drivetrains?

With 900 horsepower from three electric motors and a 5.2 liter V10, it would give Audi a hypercar to compete with the likes of the LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. It would also go along with Audi’s plans to offer plug-in versions of every vehicle in its lineup. The Audi A3 e-tron is the first plug-in to hit Audi dealers, but the R8 e-tron is easily the most exciting.

The plug-in Audi R8 hybrid would be joined by an all-electric version of the R8, which was granted a second life thanks to new battery chemistry that offers a longer range and better performance. Audi will then have two electrified supercars in its lineup to rival the likes of the BMW i8 and Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive. Alas, this will come at the cost of the manual transmission option, as only the dual-clutch automatic will be offered in the 2015 R8.

Unfortunately, electrification is only ushering in the death of the manual transmission, though I doubt that would dampen the thrill of driving a 900 horsepower R8 hybrid all that much for most people.

Source: Gas 2.

Did New Battery The Audi R8 E-Tron Another Chance?

Despite building ten test cars and claiming a premature Nurburgring lap record, it was decided in May that the Audi R8 E-tron electric supercar would not be built. According to a new report though, improvements to the lithium-ion battery pack have nearly doubled the supercars driving range, and the project is now back on. For reals.

The Audi R8 E-Tron promised a lot of things, but ultimately fell short as for several reasons, primarily the 215 km/130 mile driving range The Tesla Model S, with its 265 EPA-rated driving range, flipped the script on electric car expectations, and suddenly 130 miles wasn’t even close to enough. That helped propel the first round of rumors predicting the Audi’s premature death.

Another problem was the rather limited top speed of just 130 mph, something even most compact cars can achieve. Despite these issues Audi pressed on, as the project generated a lot of buzz for the German automaker. In the end though, rather than launch a half-backed, overpriced electric supercar, Audi wisely backed down, even going so far as to announce that the project had closed down entirely.

Obviously though that wasn’t the case, as engineers and researchers continued to improve upon the 48.6 kWh battery pack, even going so far as to the change the chemical makeup. The result is an Audi electric supercar with close to 400 km, or 250 miles of driving range between charges. That’s a huge improvement, and while production will still be very limited, the Audi R8 E-tron seems to have gotten a rare second, third, and fourth shot at production.

Let’s hope this time, it sticks.

Source: Drive

Audi R8 e-Tron Electric Car Back On Again: Report

As some manufacturers toy with bringing electric small cars and sedans to market, Audi is exploring the alternative side of electric propulsion with the R8 e-tron supercar.

The project was put on hold back in October 2012, pending "a complete review of the program".

Now, it appears that plans are back on to develop the electric supercar, with Audi enthusiast websiteFourtitude revealing further information on the R8 e-tron.

It appears that, while the project may have been subject to "review", it wasn't entirely halted--or at least, even if halted, Audi still had extra details on the car to reveal.

First and foremost, the car has gained some stylistic changes, echoing those on the current facelifted R8 production cars. A long rear diffuser and some body differences compared to the gasoline R8s improves the car's drag coefficient significantly--0.27, down from 0.35.

Regular R8 models are all-wheel drive, using Audi's famous quattro system. Some R8 e-tron prototypes have also sent power to all four wheels, but production models--if they ever arrive--are expected to be rear-wheel drive.

Two synchronous electric motors mounted at the rear put 376 horsepower to the road, and 604 pounds-feet of torque. 0-62 mph is touted at 4.2 seconds, or a few tenths quicker than that of the Tesla Model S Performance.

Torque vectoring is also utilized, thanks to the electric motors' ability to spin at different rates with precise control. This helps the car turn more accurately, as individual rear wheels can be powered or slowed to change the car's cornering attitude.

The e-tron weighs 3,924 lbs at the curb--no different than before--and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic features heavily in the car's construction. Other unique details about the car's weight have emerged, including light-weight springs. These are made from fiberglass-reinforced polymer, saving 40 percent in weight over steel springs. Wheel hubs are made from forged titanium, and the anti-roll bar is 35 percent lighter than that on the standard car, thanks to aluminium and carbon fiber construction.

The 1,272-lb lithium-ion battery is mounted low, improving the center of gravity, but also serves as a load-bearing element in the car's chassis. Range is still quoted at just over 133 miles, on the combined European cycle--think a real-world range of 100-105 miles.

Production of the R8 e-tron is no longer confirmed, though Fourtitude speculates that a very limited run may eventually become available.

For the meantime, it's more a symbol of what could be possible from a future Audi electric supercar--albeit one heavily based on a series production car. A dedicated electric vehicle could be even more impressive...

Source: Green Car Reports

Audi F12 e Sport Is Less Super, More Car

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

Fisker says Karma will meet 15,000 production target for 2012

A raft of production delays slowed the arrival of the first Fisker Karma. Though the initial round of vehicles were finally delivered, the delays mean that Fisker will only ship 1,500 of the four door plug-in hybrids in 2011, well short of the original target of 7,000.

There has been an effort to turn Fisker into a scandal and these lower production numbers are enough to fan the flames. Fisker has received loans totaling $529 million from the Department of Energy, a number that puts the company within $6 million of the assistance lent to failed solar-panel maker Solyndra. Fisker's partners at A123 Systems have been forced to chop their earnings estimates for 2011, since fewer Karmas out the door means fewer A123 batteries sold. To some, it all has the look of failure.

However, Fisker Chairman Ray Lane says that the issues in 2011 were a combination of difficulties faced by any start up – such as problems with the electrical system that didn't appear until production was underway – and some one-off disasters. For example, a flood soaked the initial shipment of leather delivered for the car's interior, leaving Fisker with 250 vehicles that were ready to go, except for seats, dashboards, steering wheels and every other surface that needed to be covered in cowhide.

With the Freshman year drawing to a close, Lane is convinced that Fisker will hit its mark in 2012. According to Lane, Fisker still plans to meet projections of 15,000 Karmas delivered in 2012. A123 is taking a more cautious approach, projecting around 7,000 vehicles. Either number would actually be very good for a car that has a base price of $96,000. Even the 7,000-unit sales number would exceed the annual sales of such well-known $100k sedans as the Maserati Quattroporte or Audi R8. Those cars don't have any green chic, though, and that might make all the difference.



Source: Autoblog Green