Of the few big car manufacturers unwilling to invest into the EV R&D money pot, Audi was amongst the most outspoken. Famous for sticking to its guns, claiming that the usability of rechargeable batteries was far from refined enough for regular car use, it appears that the brand with the four hoops has been eating its words recently after the shock announcement of several new ‘e-tron’ cars amongst the range, including the hot R8.
“It’s beyond any question that battery cars have become more important to Audi,” CEO Rupert Stadler told Reuters, acknowledging the company’s change of mind over the expected future of its car range.
The R8 e-tron is said to have a 250 mile range, with charging taking less than two hours. It will be custom made to order, suggesting that Audi is still afraid to fully commit to a production EV just yet. 0-62mph will be offered up in 3.9 seconds, a mere 0.7 seconds less exciting than it’s V10-powered petrol variant.
