Currently reading: Audi R8 e-tron close to production
The all-electric Audi R8 e-tron is close to being signed off for production, Audi officials confirm

The Audi R8 e-tron project has been reprised by Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg, and is now close to being signed off for production. 

The electric supercar had been axed last spring amid concerns about its cost and range. Just ten were going to be made, each for R&D purposes and not for sale.

Confirming Autocar’s scoop from last month, Hackenberg revealed the packaging of the R8 e-tron had been changed and its battery technology updated to offer a greater range and improved cost.

Insiders report that the range of the R8 e-tron, which gets twin electric motors, rear-wheel drive and 376bhp, has now almost doubled to around 250 miles.

Hackenberg said that with electric and specifically plug-in hybrid technology playing such an important role in Audi’s future going forward, it was important this technology was introduced on a technology flagship model.

“I’m discussing with the board a way to realise this car and use it as a technology flagship,” said Hackenberg at the Detroit motor show. “We need something to bring these new technologies to market.”

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Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Orangewheels 14 January 2014

Which R8

Which R8 platform will it be though? The current car that's getting long in the tooth or the new one in development that sits on the Huracan architecture?
alexanderkemp 14 January 2014

Catch-up

Read: BMW has left us behind with the i3 and i8 and we need to stuff a current product wth electric motors to make it look like we have actually been doing some R&D in future technologies. Audi: "Vorsprung durch Rhetorik"