2nd Generation Audi R8 eTron at Frankfurt

Audi are to reveal a 2nd generation Audi R8 eTron at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week with 308bhp and four electric motors.

We did think that Audi were too busy playing with the electric go-kart that is the Urban Concept to bother with any more eTrons. But we were wrong. The 2nd generation Audi R8 eTron will début this week at Frankfurt.

The first R8 eTron made its début at Frankfurt in 2009, and this latest version appears to be ready to go in to production in 2012 and features cosmetics much closer to the regular petrol-engined R8.

The R8 eTron is powered by four electric motors – one at each wheel – which together deliver 308bhp. A long way short of its petrol-engine stablemates, but its acceleration of 0-62mph is aided by the big torque available from the electric motors.

Audi are still insisting on quoting the same sort of daft figures they did when the original R8 eTron debuted two years ago, so according to Audi the R8 eTron has 3315lb/ft of torque which, if this were conventionally measured, would be enough to tear a hole in the fabric of time.

As we reported back in 2009, Audi insist on quoting torque figures for the eTron at the wheels, which without the gearbox and final drive in the way means a figure around ten times conventional figures. In truth, the R8 eTron has torque of about 252lb/ft – similar to the Tesla Roadster.

Audi say the R8 eTron will take between six and eight hours to recharge and will deliver a range of 150 miles (in the land of dreams) thanks to an enormous bank of lithium-ion batteries weighing in at a huge 550kg – a third of the R8 eTron’s weight – and probably costing more than a regular R8 all on their own.

More daftness on the EV front. This time it looks like it’s going to be production daftness.