Audi Kills R8 e-tron Supercar

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Audi announced that it will not be selling the electric version of its R8 supercar.

At least not for now. According to a report published by Germany's Auto Bild, the production of the R8 e-tron was halted due to excessive cost, which presumably relates to the batteries. Audi planned to get the first e-trons to customers in late 2012.

Car and Driver previously speculated that the car could be on the chopping block. Audi said that the R8 e-tron was halted for now, but unless the company can get a cheaper battery, it is unlikely that the project will be  revived anytime soon.

The car was powered by two electric motors with a total of 381 hp. The car accelerated from 0-60 in about 4 seconds with a top speed that was capped at 120 mph. Audi planned a limited production run of 1,000 cars for an estimated $300,000 each.

Of course, the e-tron is not the only electric supercar on the market and those who can afford such a car don't have to shed any tears. Mercedes will be offering the SLS AMG Electric Drive for about $535,000 (pricing in Germany) and there is also the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder for $845,000, which can be decked out with options such as a $65,000 paint option.

And if you can spend a little more, you could even look for the 2014 Rimac EV with 1088 hp for about $1 million.

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Wolfgang Gruener
Topics
Cars
18 Comments Comment from the forums
  • g00fysmiley
    green and super car just still don't mesh in my mind. i mean i like green cars, if i could have any car tomorrow it would be a chevy volt and i drive a corolla because it is relable and with good gas mileage (and a manual for hyper miling) .. but if you are spending that much on a super car seems like you'd want a big roaring loud v10 or 12 /shrug to each thier own though hopefully the sales will help r&d of electric cars :)
    Reply
  • silverblue
    A small car would make more sense as electric to me, however supercars, F1 etc. are usually the place where the latest and greatest technology comes from so if they can get it right at the top, surely it'll filter down to more humble vehicles where many more people can enjoy them. Still, with all those batteries, it's hardly a green option.
    Reply
  • kawininjazx
    g00fysmileygreen and super car just still don't mesh in my mind. i mean i like green cars, if i could have any car tomorrow it would be a chevy volt and i drive a corolla because it is relable and with good gas mileage (and a manual for hyper miling) .. but if you are spending that much on a super car seems like you'd want a big roaring loud v10 or 12 /shrug to each thier own though hopefully the sales will help r&d of electric cars

    Would you rather spend your $45,000 on a Chevy Volt, or buy an $18,000 car it's based off of and save $27,000 which you could use to buy gas with. Who knows if the Volts will even run in 5 years. Besides it takes burning coal which travels through an electric grid which loses efficiency ever inch until it gets to your house to charge it.
    Reply
  • soccerdocks
    g00fysmileygreen and super car just still don't mesh in my mind. i mean i like green cars, if i could have any car tomorrow it would be a chevy volt and i drive a corolla because it is relable and with good gas mileage (and a manual for hyper miling) .. but if you are spending that much on a super car seems like you'd want a big roaring loud v10 or 12 /shrug to each thier own though hopefully the sales will help r&d of electric cars
    Have you looked into the Tesla Model S? If so why would you chose the Volt over the Model S?
    Reply
  • spookyman
    g00fysmileygreen and super car just still don't mesh in my mind. i mean i like green cars, if i could have any car tomorrow it would be a chevy volt and i drive a corolla because it is relable and with good gas mileage (and a manual for hyper miling) .. but if you are spending that much on a super car seems like you'd want a big roaring loud v10 or 12 /shrug to each thier own though hopefully the sales will help r&d of electric cars
    Cant help but Toyota makes a very good product compare to Garbage Machine
    Reply
  • tramit
    spookymanCant help but Toyota makes a very good product compare to Garbage MachineI think the Volt is an awesome alternative to the Prius. But It usually costs around 40k (before 10k worth of tax rebates if you are eligible). Direct prices, you can still get a new Prius for ~25k. Hard to make up 15k of fuel savings in the average life span of a vehicle.
    Reply
  • jacobdrj
    Green and Supercar actually mesh better than you may realize:
    Electric motors don't need transmissions, and can therefore accelerate much much more quickly. Those cars, not having complex transmissions and engine blocks that weight a thousand pounds allow those cars to therefore be lighter. Also, the structure of the car can be more aerodynamic, as the paradigm of engine placement and balance of the car is no longer dictated by the transmission, only placement of the wheel motors and the batteries...


    The irony is that 'green' supercars are not truly green. Not because of their carbon footprint per se, but because those batteries are made of highly toxic materials that have many toxic ungreen byproducts...

    If all I cared about were acceleration, I would go for an electric car 10 times out of 10 before a standard ice car.
    Reply
  • Avus
    I actually buy into the pure EV concept much more than hybrid. To me, hybrid is the most complicated way to make a car move. (combustion engine + electric motor) EV on the other hand, is much more "solid state". Much less moving parts and operate at a much lower temperature compare to combustion engine. Kind of like SSD for cars... As long as they can solve the range and recharge obstacles, I am all for it. EV =/= boring car. It can be fun too. Tesla Roadster is a good example.
    Reply
  • DRosencraft
    I may have said this before in a similar article, but supercars are where EV has to grow to better catch on everywhere else. Supercars are icons. People see them and want them, and because most of us can't afford them we look to get something similar. This is how design elements like the front grill opening on the Aston Martin ends up on a Ford, or why for a while so many cars had halo tail-lights, or why so many headlights now include that little strip of LEDs.

    Also, supercars are built for best possible speed and acceleration. The principles used are a lot of the same principles that help vehicles save fuel (good aerodynamics, efficient shifting, lighter weight, etc). The reason supercars aren't more fuel efficient is because they are performance driven, i.e. "big and shouty" engines. The problem of taking a supercar to the greener side is that to get the same kind of performance would mean more expense on body design from using more carbon fiber and lightweight metals, and lots of batteries to push the most powerful electric motor you can fit in the car. The weight of the batteries starts negating efficiency, and all of this starts costing a lot. But as we know with SSDs and RAM, it may start expensive, but if you can get it used enough, the cost comes down faster. So make expensive electric supercars, that way the tech involved gets cheaper and we can start buying electric cars that are as beautiful and cheap as many of the gasoline powered cars we buy today.
    Reply
  • "Of course, the e-tron is not the only electric supercar on the market"..."and there is also the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder"

    The 918 is not an EV. It is a hybrid with a V8.
    Reply