Frankfurt Preview: Audi e-Tron electric supercar gets early web unveil
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Sep 14th 2009 at 2:02PM 
Audi e-Tron renderings - Click above for high-res image gallery
Apparently, electric cars aren't such a bad idea after all. Just days after Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen proclaimed that diesels were the future in lieu of electrons, Audi's own electric supercar concept will be officially debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show. While we're anxiously awaiting Audi's scheduled press conference, a slew of renderings managed to make their way to the internet this morning that show some of the car's interesting visual details.
Called the e-Tron, Audi's eco-friendly supercar concept is based heavily on the underpinnings of the German automaker's awesome R8. Major differences include a closed-off front grille, revised front and rear fascias with C-shaped LED head lamps and a unique set of multispoke wheels. Perhaps the most obvious change is the deletion of the standard R8's trademark side blades. We sorta miss 'em, though it's understandable that aerodynamics are the name of the game for this concept car.
We're still not sure what exactly will power the e-Tron, but the smart money is on a fully electric drivetrain. Check out our gallery of official-looking renderings below.
Gallery: Audi e-Tron renderings
[Source: World Car Fans]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Yanquetino 2:10PM (9/14/2009)
Wow. Beaucoup euros for this baby, I'll bet.
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Boyprodigy1 3:16PM (9/14/2009)
*drool*
Ernie 2:19PM (9/14/2009)
Because on Autobloggreen among other "green" sites, words speak louder than actions.
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Guy 2:47PM (9/14/2009)
Electric cars .... Audi ???
Are electric cars not for idiots ?
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Bahnburner 4:28PM (9/14/2009)
Who said "electric cars are for idiots"? As I recall, it was the Volt that was specifically mentioned, not electric cars.
Guy 4:42PM (9/14/2009)
Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen compared electric cars like the Volt with diesel cars (where Audi is very good in)
Read here: http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=1247701
Bahnburner 5:12PM (9/14/2009)
No, he specifically spoke of the Volt and the Volt only as a "car for idiots," then went on to qualify the statement based on it's poor price-to-value proposition.
Serge 5:43PM (9/14/2009)
@Bahnburner: would you like to detail the price-to-value proposition for the e-Tron?
wincros 2:53PM (9/14/2009)
"We're still not sure what exactly will power the e-Tron, but the smart money is on a fully electric drivetrain. "
I think the lack of a grill and photography in front of a solar panels array is a pretty good hint that it does not have an engine. A good use for all that alternative energy that Germany has been so uniquely aggressive about.
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meme 2:55PM (9/14/2009)
Is it a car for idiots?
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GR 2:56PM (9/14/2009)
For a company that likes to bash electric vehicles, they sure can make a nice one!
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Yanquetino 3:04PM (9/14/2009)
I don't see any tailpipe back there:
http://img.worldcarfans.com/2009/9/large/4456561.jpg
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nikidd 3:17PM (9/14/2009)
As an Audi fan I can tell that they always make a nice looking cars and this one is not exception.
But, I'm also wondering if they would call it car for idiots.
It was not smart from Audi to neglect the electric cars and sorry, but they don't deserve much attention for their attempt to catch the last train.
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Tohe 3:42PM (9/14/2009)
This car is a stunner.
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Nick From Montreal 4:22PM (9/14/2009)
Audi, darling, everything is forgiven. Please make us that car for less than 100K.
Gee, these guys are the champion of extreme double-speak. Let's hope this car generates enough excitement for them to actually produce it.
Good lookin' car for sure...
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ben.trovato 5:21PM (9/14/2009)
Get rid of that aggressive-looking, pointless grille. It's so old-fashioned... Designers have finally recognised that huge greenhouse headlights aren't needed with LEDs, so isn't it time they also stopped paying design homage to the air-gulping internal combustion engine?
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naturalyshocked 7:31AM (9/15/2009)
you sir are a total geek
practicly the only american car sold here in europe the last few years in the chrysler 300c.
all other american design is pointles bland.
audi aint old fashioned their slogan 'Vorsprung durch Technik'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorsprung_durch_Technik
in the end of the 90'ties each and every driving school in the netherlands had the golf mk IV.
so VAG is using this style for about 12 years, so it isn't old fashioned.
or do you prefer american bland, innocent and indentyless design?
above all this is a sportscar, what face would you give it?
naturalyshocked 7:38AM (9/15/2009)
by the way, it's estimated in about 5 years audi wil be the dominant and biggest premuim car brand in the world.
audi has a clear indentiy, spread over all models, soemthing GM, ford doesn't.
recognizeble world wide.
naturalyshocked 9:00PM (9/14/2009)
LONDON - Yesterday ended up against the very meaning of the first images Audi all the e-Tron online. Information was not there, but now it is so far that all the secrets of the Audi concept car price indicates.
© Auto Week
The key question was: how much power the e-Tron to his decision? We know it now: four electric motors provide the power available on the Audi 313 hp.
The two-seater accelerates in 4.8 seconds from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour and keep 't seen at an electronically limited top speed of 200 kilometer per hour. Lithium-ion batteries give the e-Tron a range of 248 kilometer. The e-Tron is 4.26 meters long, 1.90 meters wide and 1.26 meters high.
Charging a futuristic e-Tron accessible via a conventional electrical outlet. Then it takes eight hours. With a high voltage outlet (400 V) is 2.5 hours in this job done. The Audi engineers working on a wireless option that process a lot easier.
Precision
The e-Tron, the couple freely shared between the different wheels. This gives the car better handling and greater precision in submitting. Audi calls this technology "torque vectors'. An intelligent thermal management maximizes the operating range without the comfort of the occupant suffers.
Another interesting novelty is car-to-x, a system for the e-Tron with other cars and traffic lights for example can communicate. This ensures a more efficient flow of traffic and thus a greater range of individual cars. Other manufacturers experimenting with this technology.
An important objective of Audi in developing the e-Tron was a low weight. The aluminum space frame of the R8 was a good basis.
Aerodynamics
The e-Tron has an empty weight of 1,600 kilograms. Intelligent aerodynamics reduce drag, a factor that affects consumption. Audi has placed the rear battery to express, which ensures an optimal weight.
Audi uses LED technology for lighting. The weather system recognizes and adjusts the light as needed. The camera also detects oncoming traffic and can prevent blindness.
source autoweek.nl (autobild)
google translated
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Dan Frederiksen 10:06PM (9/14/2009)
I can't be absolutely certain but the quality of the computer graphics look well below what I would expect from someone as big as Audi. I very much doubt this is for real.
If I were to guess, it's some wannebe car designer trying misguidedly to get some admiration by pretending to be official Audi. what's the source?? has this even been remotely fact checked...
it could also be an intentional fake leak by Audi, who knows, but it looks all wrong to me. All the big auto makers are evil but they their product is high quality evil, not amateur computer graphics.
I would also expect, although not certain of that either, that if Audi had an awakening or sudden growth of conscience, it would be something less conventionally stupid than the R8. Electric drive offers some significant design freedoms and despite all Audi leadership's flaws, I would expect them to be more imaginative that this.
I got a lot of bells ringing fake is what I'm saying.
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