Audi R8 E-Tron back on production map thanks to new battery tech?

Sun, 15 Dec 2013

Contrary to our October 2012 report, it appears Audi's R8 E-Tron program is back on track, if a report from Australia is to be believed. Drive is reporting that the German brand has changed its mind and won't be sacking the program, despite previously stated concerns about the quality and price of batteries for the R8-based EV.

We last saw the R8 E-Tron prototype in the snows of northern Europe, although footage of the car has been non-existent since that wintry test. This new report claims that a small number of R8 E-Trons will see production, which gels with what we heard back in 2012 and supposed earlier this year. Apparently, some new sort of lithium-ion battery technology has allowed for a drastic increase in range, with rumors of the original 130 miles going up to around 250. According to Drive, this makes the project feasible again.

"Our engineers and technicians are further developing the car and its electric drive system. The range has grown significantly, allowing the potential for a small-scale production," an unnamed, but high-ranking Audi employee told the Aussies.

While we'd like to see Audi bring a production version of its EV supercar to market, the back-and-forth nature of its development has left us wondering if it'll ever arrive, even on a small scale. We'd still take this one with a grain of salt, despite what does seem like positive news for Audi's sporty EV.

By Brandon Turkus