The Detroit Showcar Audi e-tron: First Look

Jay Williams - 12/January/2010

Detroit, United States - Audi showcased an electric concept vehicle at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, in 2010 the German car company has taken the wraps off its second electric concept vehicle.

Called the Audi e-tron Detroit Showcar, the vehicle is a variant of the e-tron concept first shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The e-tron weighs around 1,350 kilograms and has two electric motors that drive the front and rear axles with a combined power output of 150kW and 2,650 Nm of torque which is distributed between the wheels as required.

The coupe has an ASF-design aluminum body and is said to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.9 seconds before hitting a limited top speed of 200 km/h, as the amount of energy required by the electric motors increases disproportionately to speed.

Audi has positioned the Lithium-ion batteries for an optimal center of gravity behind the passenger compartment and ahead of the rear axle, making an effective energy content of 45 kilowatt-hours available. This makes an operating range of up to 250 kilometers.

The energy storage unit is charged with household current (230 volts) via a cable and a plug. The socket is behind a cover at the back of the car. The charging time when the battery is empty is around 11 hours, but heavy current (400 volts) cuts this to around just two hours.

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: 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.

The trapeze of the single-frame grille dominates the distinctly wedge-shaped front end and is flanked by two large air intakes. The top of the grille merges into the flat strips of the adaptive matrix beam headlight modules with their clear glass covers. All light units use efficient LED technology.

Lightweight construction is important for efficiency and range with electric vehicles than for conventionally powered vehicles. Lightweight construction also contributes to handling characteristics. Audi developers focused on a core competence of the company when creating the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron: The body structure is based on Audi Space Frame technology (ASF), with a hybrid design approach adopted. All add-on parts – doors, lids, sidewalls and roof – are made of a fibre-reinforced plastic.

The combination of aluminum and carbon fibre-reinforced composite material guarantees rigidity coupled with low weight. Audi will soon use this technology in a similar form for future production vehicles. 

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