This Is What The All-Electric R8 e-tron Looks Like – Official Pictures

Audi has released a new set of images showing how the electric version of the R8 will look like, once it hits the showroom floor in Geneva later today.

Yes, these photos are clearly processed but they are official. The electric R8 will have a combined output of 462PS and 920Nm (679lb.ft) of torque from two electric motors, with Audi claiming a 3.9 sec time for the 0-62mph. The range is now 450km (280 miles), which is more than double that of the original (215km – 133miles). With something called the Combined Charging System (CCS), Audi claims that the time to fully charge the battery is now less than two hours.

Audi made some targeted modifications to the exterior of the R8, in order to make it more slippery and efficient. Combined with the special wheels, the R8 e-tron now scores an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) value of 0.28. The battery capacity has grown from 49kWh to approximately 92kWh with the T-shaped battery to be structurally integrated into the centre tunnel and behind the occupant cell, keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible.

The second generation of Audi’s electric supercar might go for sale with Audi saying that it will use the R8 e-tron as a ‘mobile high-tech laboratory’. In the press release Audi says “the findings from the R8 e-tron help in creating a vehicle with a sedan character”, confirming their intentions of building a rival against Tesla and the upcoming BMW i5.

Audi says that the R8 e-tron will be hand built upon customer request and will be available for order sometime in 2015.