Audi R8 e-tron killed off for production – again

[nggallery id=266 template=customlinks]

It seems Audi has confirmed to Autocar that the electric Audi R8 – the R8 e-Tron – isn’t viable for production and won’t be made, citing poor range and high cost.

It’s more than six months since we reported that Audi were planning to kill off any production plans for the electric R8 e-Tron, with Audi’s head of R&D saying the production plans for the R8 were going to be scrapped. And it seems they have now gone in the bin.

Autocar are reporting that Audi has confirmed to them that the R8 e-Tron won’t be going in to production and the ten latest e-Trons to be built will be used just for testing and development to help Audi with its ‘electrification’ plans, which will now almost certainly concentrate on plug-in hybrids and range extenders, rather than EVs.

It seems Audi are disappointed that battery technology hasn’t moved on since they first started plotting electric supercars. and the poor capacity, high weight and huge costs mitigate against an electric R8 e-Tron being a viable production model.

So, common sense from Audi and a realisation that although electric powertrains do have their place, that place is for small urban cars, local delivery vehicles and very high end, short-run playthings.

But you already knew that.