Audi e-Tron revealed at Frankfurt

Audi has launched the e-Tron at Frankfurt

Audi has revealed the R8 based Audi e-Tron at Frankfurt – an electric car with over 3000 lbs/ft of torque

Audi denied it. For ages. But then they teased us with the launch of the Electricity Untamed website, which made it pretty clear that Audi had been far from forthcoming about the Electric R8. And even though they didn’t admit it was an electric R8 they were teasing, we revealed yesterday that it was in fact an R8, and it would be known as the Audi e-Tron.

And this morning Audi has revealed the detail. The Audi e-Tron has four electric motors producing a relatively modest 313bhp, but with a frankly unbelievable 3,319lbs/ft of torque. And we thought the new Bentley Mulsanne had a lot.

Performance us pretty decent, taking 4.8 seconds to 60mph and less – 4.1 seconds – from 36-75mph. The e-Tron has 53kWh of oomph of which 42.4kWh is usable. The battery pack weighs a not inconsiderable 1,000 lbs – almost a third of the total e-Tron’s weight – and I’ve no doubt costs a fortune to produce.

Each of the motors runs a wheel, so this is still an ‘Audi quattro’. And it’s said the e-Tron will manage 154 miles on a charge.

But this is about Audi showing what can be done, even if it’s not particularly viable at the moment. It also manages to put the squeeze on BMW’s Vision ED Concept as the star of the ‘Electric Show’ at Frankfurt.

Much more detail in the Audi e-Tron Press release.