Shock and awe: electric supercars unveiled
16.09.2009 - Adrian Hearn
(19)
Frankfurt is awash with car makers paying ohm-age to electricity and unveiling green supercars. Audi is showcasing its e-Tron - a purely electric concept which has four motors, two on the front axle and two on the rear.
As a result the e-Tron, which has an R8-inspired design, has 313bhp and an unfathomable 3,319lb/ft of pulling power. And yes - you did read that right.
This will accelerate the electric Quattro from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, 37-74mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. The range between charges is approximately 154 miles.
While Audi went for 100 per cent electric, BMW opted to display its diesel hybrid - the Vision EfficientDynamics supercar concept.
Thankfully, the Vision EfficientDynamics concept's looks don't match its rubbish name - it's a beaut, looking like it should feature in a remake of 1982 film Tron. And it's a working concept, driven (very carefully) round the BMW hall in Frankfurt.
BMW has fitted its concept with a 1.5-litre diesel engine and two electric motors to enable a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds and an average fuel economy of 75.1mpg.
We'd like to believe these figures but the cynic in us is a little pessimistic - time for BMW to prove us wrong and turn this concept into a production car.
