Audi R8 E-Tron Project Halted, Maybe Axed Completely
Despite previous plans for a 2013 launch, development of the Audi R8 e-Tron just ground to a halt.
Audi’s new research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer is reviewing the project and there’s a chance the whole thing could be junked, Car and Driver reports. If nothing else, it means the car won’t make its originally projected release, but the news will likely be more grim.
Mercedes is still soldiering forward with its SLS AMG Electric Drive, which it displayed most recently during the Paris Motor Show, but competition might well spell doom for Audi’s alternative fuel sports car.
It’s a fight Mercedes doesn’t even need to lend fists to, or at least that’s how it seems. Tesla’s Model S, for example, can already reach 60 mph faster than the e-Tron’s 4.6-second time.
Battery costs are also proving to be prohibitive and enthusiasm for electric cars is waning to the point where more mainstream projects like the Scion iQ EV are all but scrapped.
If selling a relatively low-cost, practical car is proving too difficult for a behemoth like Toyota, how well could an electric R8 really do?
[Source: Car and Driver]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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