Mar 30, 2010
German luxury carmaker, Audi, is making no secret about the future of sustainable motoring with a comprehensive roll-out of electric concept cars which start with a ‘top-down’ approach.
Based on the Audi R8 supercar, Audi showed it’s first electric car in 2009 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show – called the Audi e-tron. Unlike virtually all other manufacturers with electric concepts, the e-tron showcased Audi’s top down approach to sustainable motoring with a concept car based on its stunning sports coupe. The original e-tron boasts electric motors on all four wheels, making this concept another ‘quattro’. The company argues that electric cars needn’t be ‘small’ as the technology is perfectly suited to a much more dynamic approach.
Since September 2009 when the brand first showed the e-tron, two new concepts have been unveiled in quick succession. The Detroit Audi e-tron is a compact sportscar with two electric motors are the rear axles, and the very latest – the A1 e-tron is a small city vehicle with a Wankel combustion engine which can also be used in extreme circumstances to re-power the electric motor in the city.
Here’s a rundown of Audi’s extraordinary electric concept cars.
Frankfurt 2009
Audi e-tron – a true sports coupe with a range of 250 kilometres
Audi presented the e-tron in the body of a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels, making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 230 kW of power and a massive 4,500 Nm of torque, the two-seater sports coupe accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h in 4.1 seconds. The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometres – a range unlike every other electric concept in the market.
The performance figures are by no means the only evidence of the consistent and holistic strategy. The design makes it clear that the e-tron belongs in the major leagues of sports cars, and the package takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal centre of gravity and axle load distribution.
The e-tron is able to freely distribute the powerful torque of its four electric motors to the wheels as required. This so-called torque vectoring allows for dazzling dynamics and an undreamed-of level of agility and precision when cornering.
Audi has taken a new and in some cases revolutionary approach to many of the technical modules. A heat pump is used to efficiently warm up and heat the interior. The drive system, the power electronics and the battery are controlled by an innovative thermal management system that is a crucial component for achieving the car’s range without compromising its high level of interior comfort. Networking the vehicle electronics with the surroundings, which is referred to as car-to-x communication, opens new dimensions for the optimisation of efficiency, safety and convenience.
Detroit 2010
Audi’s second e-tron – the all electric compact concept with two electric motors
Audi showcased it’s second uncompromisingly purist compact sports car with all-electric drive at the first major auto show of 2010. Known as ‘the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron’ this compact car is diminutive at just 3.93 metre long, 1.78 metre wide coupe and just 1.22 metres tall. This compact two-seater was shown just months after the debut of the Audi e-tron at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron has a low gross weight of only 1,350 kilograms, and the high-torque power units driving the rear wheels guarantee commensurate road performance. Two electric motors with a combined output of 150 kW and 2,650 Nm accelerate the coupe with its ultra lightweight aluminum body from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds. The Audi e-tron accomplishes the sprint from 60 to 120 km/h in a mere 5.1 seconds.
The Detroit e-tron is able to distribute its electric motors’ high torque between the wheels entirely as required. Its “torque vectoring” is the key to a thrilling level of active precision and excellent traction. Thanks also to its low weight, short wheelbase and perfect weight distribution for dynamic handling, the Audi e-tron has all the drivability of a go-kart – agile, good on bends and neutral right up to the very high handling limit.
Lithium-ion batteries, located for an optimal centre of gravity behind the passenger compartment and ahead of the rear axle, make an effective energy content of 45 kilowatt-hours available. This makes an operating range of up to 250 kilometres realistically possible.
As previously with the first e-tron concept car shown in Frankfurt, Audi again bases all components in this electric vehicle on an integral concept with many revolutionary details, for example a heat pump as an efficient means of heating up and maintaining the interior temperature. The drive system, power electronics and battery have innovative thermal management – crucial for maintaining a high operating range coupled with outstanding interior comfort.
Geneva – 2010
Audi A1 e-tron – electric driving in the city
On show for the first time at Geneva Motor Show this March, Audi’s A1 e-tron is a Mega City Vehicle (MCV) with an innovative drive technology. It comes equipped with a powerful electric motor for zero-emission driving in the city. There is also an internal combustion engine on board that recharges the battery in exceptional circumstances. The A1 e-tron is very agile thanks to the 75 kW peak power of its electric motor.
The A1 e-tron is Audi’s third electric concept – a compact electric car in the premium class. The four-passenger, two-door MCV city car was designed specifically for use in the metropolitan areas of Europe and North America and in the rapidly growing megacities of Asia and South America. The Audi A1 e-tron always drives on electric power. Its internal combustion engine is only used to recharge the battery in isolated cases.
The synchronous electric motor of the Audi A1 e-tron is mounted transversely at the front of the car. Its low mounting position has a positive effect on the vehicle’s centre of gravity. Continuous output is rated at 45 kW, with peak power of 75 kW available in short bursts. 150 Nm of torque is continuously available, and peak torque is 240 Nm.
The energy storage unit is below the floor, where it is ideal for the centre of gravity and weight distribution. The battery pack is shaped like a T, with the short “transverse beam” filling the rear section of the centre tunnel and the “cross-beam” filling that area in front of the rear axle where the fuel tank is otherwise located.
The Audi A1 e-tron can drive 50 km emission-free in city traffic on the powerful battery. On longer trips, the battery is recharged by a particularly compact internal combustion engine mounted below the luggage compartment.
The integration of the new technologies shows the holistic approach that Audi is pursuing with electric mobility. The objective is to use the energy with the lowest possible losses. The precise interaction of the components, their intelligent packaging, and the efficient management of the current flows are the product of the expertise that the company has developed in this area.
Audi has developed a proprietary thermal management system to keep the battery, the electric motor, and the power electronics within their respective ideal temperature windows.
Behind the three e-tron models is a broadly diverse and modular technology platform that continues to grow very rapidly as Audi drives development forward.
Until fully-electric driving becomes possible within the next 5 years or so, Audi remains committed to the further development of its efficient combustion engines including TDI and TFSI where it is still possible to make gains in efficiency, at the same time offering strong performance from these engines.
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