Audi e Tron Concept

The second Audi e-tron concept made a strong impression on attendees at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Like many concepts, this coupe looks more like a supercar than anything average drivers can expect to see on the road anytime soon. But, to the surprise of many, this electric car will be going into production in the form of an R4 (there’s already a strong family resemblance to the 2010 R8 ) to be sold by 2012. Of course you’re still unlikely to see one on the highway then, because Audi only plans to make 1,000 units, all made to order. And, if all 1,000 don’t sell, production will halt.

As it stands, the e-Tron concept weighs 3000 lb, of which 880 lb is in the form of lithium-ion batteries. It has two motors with a combined output of 204 horses powering the rear wheels. It should take about 11 hours to fully charge this machine, and that charge should be good for 150 miles of driving. Best of all, it looks mean! While I’m far from an expert on car design, I’m definitely impressed with the the work Stefan Sielaff is doing as head of Audi design. While trying to find details about the lecture he gave at the College for Creative Studies I came across some pretty cool promo videos featuring him. Please note, these clips may not impress the car know-it-alls reading this post, especially the ones commenting on blogs about how boring this e-Tron concept is compared to last year’s Sportback(A7).

If an electric R4 is successful, it could mark the first in a series of electric Audi’s marketed under the e-Tron label. While I do like the way “Audi Quatro” sounds, I love how the name “e-Tron” perfectly balances sports car swagger with green car geekness.

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