Audi cancels plans to sell its R8 e-tron pure-electric supercar

By John LeBlanc After years of show cars, prototypes and hype, it looks like the pubic will never get a chance to buy Audi's revolutionary R8 e-tron pure-electric supercar after all. First seen at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, with a second version shown at the Detroit show in January 2010, it was expected production versions of the Audi electric sports car would go on-sale by 2012. Obviously, that date’s come and gone. And this week, Audi told Autocar that the German automaker has canceled any plans to sell its R8 e-tron to the public, period. Apparently, ten iterations of the latest R8 e-tron have been produced. But they will only be used for internal research and development. In a recent press release, the German automaker explained: "Through the R8 e-tron, Audi has acquired extensive expertise that will benefit its electrified production models." The R8 e-tron presented an interesting alternative for owners who did not want to burn any fossil fuels while zipping around in a stylish supercar. The latest versions use a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors that can move the car from from 0-100 kilometres per hour in 4.2 seconds, deliver an electrically limited 200 km/h top speed and go as far as 215 kms between recharges. Similar to many pure-electric show cars that have struggled to be put into production, the article suggests that the limited driving range and long charging times found with current battery technology is preventing the R8 e-tron from becoming a series production vehicle. And although Audi never mentioned what a potential R8 e-tron would sell for, the anticipated lower costs of batteries all automakers have hoped for simply has not happened, making electric vehicles a costly proposition. Is this news yet another indication that the idea of pure-electric vehicles in today’s world is just that: an idea? Or do you think the production of low-volume EVs is better suited to companies outside the mainstream auto industry, like America’s Tesla? Source: Autocar

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