Audi Considers Launch Of Another Electric Supercar

Audi is considering the launch of another electric supercar to follow its previous limited-run R8 e-tron.

“You can very well imagine that at some point in time we will have an electric supercar,” said Peter Mertens, Audi’s new R&D boss, at the Formula E race in Berlin earlier this month.

First mooted as far back as 2009, the R8 e-tron had a tortuous development, one that became mired in Audi’s internal politics. It was cancelled by Audi’s then development boss Wolfgang Dürheimer back in 2013 on the basis that battery technology was insufficient to deliver the targeted performance. Then Dürheimer’s replacement, Volkswagen’s engineering supremo, Ulrich Hackenberg, ordered that the e-tron be put into very limited production, with sales lasting just 19 months until the death of the first-generation R8 in 2015.

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 8:20:00 AM

-2 Boost

Audi should just shut up and do it. Ditto all brands intent on playing in the EV craze.

Firewombat - 7/6/2017 12:56:26 PM

+3 Boost

@Bob I think MD is referencing the fact that Audi been talking about launching EVs for a while now, since dieselgate and the new focus they have some people are saying just build the the cars because we're not sure if we can take another 2 to 3 years of this "talk"

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 3:54:43 PM

-2 Boost

@BobM take your pills and learn to read before you trigger yourself.

@Firewombat PRECISELY!

hangtime010 - 7/6/2017 12:25:12 PM

+1 Boost

All manufacturers will eventually have a line-up of EV's. This is all a matter of making a statement and generating interest.
There is a difference with Volvo. They only have 1 plug-in hybrid right now. No signs of any BEV or new PHEV's from them, just an announcement that they'll have no more ICE in 2019.

Firewombat - 7/6/2017 12:53:49 PM

+1 Boost

Another one? Was there a first one?

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 3:55:11 PM

0 Boost

They dropped some Diehards into an R8 apparently.

Firewombat - 7/7/2017 7:06:19 AM

+1 Boost

I know they talked about doing a R8 e-tron but I thought it was shelved

7msynthetic - 7/6/2017 5:22:23 PM

+2 Boost

Still trying to figure out what the last electric super car was.

MDarringer - 7/6/2017 8:28:19 PM

+2 Boost

It was the Yugo GV that Richard Hammond crashed.