With four motors driving the front and rear axles, Audi presented one of the most advanced high-performance electric cars ever conceived at this year’s Frankfurt Auto show. The electric Quattro is said to produce 313hp and 319 lb-ft of torque accelerating to 0-62 in 4.8 seconds. A fully-charged lithium-ion battery provides approximately 154 miles of driving range.
The performance figures are impressive especially for an electric car but the design of the e-tron reinforces its sports car appeal. Handling and weight distribution is also optimized as the heavy battery rests behind the passenger seat for the best center of gravity and distribution. The construction of the car has also been designed to be as lightweight as possible with aerodynamics to reduce battery consumption.
New for Audi and electrics cars are features like the heat pump and vehicle electronics. The integrated heat pump is used to warp up the interior of the cabin. The new electronics allows e-tron drivers to be in tune with safety and traffic management. The car includes a prototype of an information processing system that exchanges information about traffic flow.
Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to do before the e-tron is ready for volume production. There are still challenges with the integration of energy storage. But overall, this is an impressive step for European car technology and a telltale sign of the future.