Audi announced this week at the North American International Auto Show that production of the R8 e-tron will resume after nary a word has been heard about it for nearly two years.
The R8 e-tron is an electric version of the popular R8 model. You might recall seeing the R8 e-tron if you saw Iron Man 3 this past summer. No? Well, good for you. The movie wasn’t that great.
In any case, the resurrection of the e-tron is likely due to Audi’s engineers addressing the power source of the electric car: its battery. Audi said that they have developed a new chemistry process to pack energy more densely into the battery packs that power the electric motors. That improvement will give the new e-tron a range of 248 miles, up from the 134 miles of the last version.
More energy means greater range, time between recharges and faster acceleration. By incorporating advancements in electrode chemistry, Audi’s engineers have found a way to make the R8 e-tron feasible enough for the suits at the top. Looks like all those night classes have finally paid off.
There’s no word yet on when the new R8 e-tron will appear, so you’ll just have to watch Iron Man 3 again if you want more background on the electric wonder. Either that, or read Green Car Report’s analysis.