Audi e-tron is here.

[R84ME]

Just received from Audi Experience today. Maybe they're serious?
http://services.audievents.com/email...tyuntamed.com/

[randombloke]

have there been any videos of the thing actually running and pulling the performance figures they've quoted?

listening to the words he used on the launch video, it sounds like they're just going to be doing a bunch of these electric concepts to whet the appetite for electric cars before launching a production electric car which I'd expect to be a more main stream platform than the r8.

[gazza1]

Do electric cars run totally silent... or do performance electric cars have a supercharger? type whirr about them.

After all part of the driving experience is the mechanical symphony.

Not excited about a experience similar to being in a fast building lift.

Still the technology will be interesting..only thing is that one day apart from performance figures we will be talking on the forum about electric windings,battery technology,amps,watts and charging times.

Can,t wait...but appreciate oil is running out.

P.S. Does this mean that all exhaust companys around the world will be redundant

[randombloke]

electric motors "whir" especially as they run at very high rpm (the tesla runs to 14k rpm for example), plus you still get wind/tyre noise.

I know what you mean about the engine note, it's a big part of the experience but there's something surreal about serious performance accompanied by something so quiet vs a poor combustion engine note. I find both ends of the scale appealing - good combustion engine note and near silent electric, it's just the bit in the middle that doesn't do it for me.

P.S. Does this mean that all exhaust companys around the world will be redundant

it'll be a long time before there are no combustion engines and people wanting to mod their rides that use them.

it will certainly be an interesting world when people are talking about serious increases in performance from software, changing batteries and electric motor swaps.

[randombloke]

audi has supposedly confirmed production of the e-tron by 2012:

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1...uction-by-2012

[AnOutsider]

well, hopefully by then we'll see an improvement in specs and looks, otherwise I'll hold out for a turbocharged V8

[Davey_Dee]

well, hopefully by then we'll see an improvement in specs and looks, otherwise I'll hold out for a turbocharged V8

Hopefully is right! Gives them enough time to atleast improve them if not make them as good as a Tesla.

[ianerrid]

electric motors "whir" especially as they run at very high rpm (the tesla runs to 14k rpm for example), plus you still get wind/tyre noise.

I know what you mean about the engine note, it's a big part of the experience but there's something surreal about serious performance accompanied by something so quiet vs a poor combustion engine note. I find both ends of the scale appealing - good combustion engine note and near silent electric, it's just the bit in the middle that doesn't do it for me.



it'll be a long time before there are no combustion engines and people wanting to mod their rides that use them.

it will certainly be an interesting world when people are talking about serious increases in performance from software, changing batteries and electric motor swaps.

I seem to remember that Lotus did some consulting work on a noise generator that you could dial up ferrari/nascar/2CV type engine noises depending on your mood or type of g/f.....

[randombloke]

can you think of anything more tacky than using speakers and engine samples?

[09R8]

I heard a Tesla at a quick stop at the gas pump. That thing is as silent as a toyota prius.