Ignition Australia December 2018 - January 2019 | Page 12

AUDI E-TRON CONCEPT
RAPID ELECTRIC SUPERCAR POSSIBLE R8 SUCCESSOR
The votes are in from last month's poll on The Workshop and
the most popular Future Ride from the 2018 Paris Motor Show
was the Audi PB18 e-tron concept car. Let's take the time to
learn a bit more about this amazing looking vehicle.
Inspired by the Audi R18 e-tron race car, the PB18 is powered
by a trio of electric motors for a peak combined system
output of 570kW and 800Nm, resulting in a vehicle weighing
less than 1550kg.
Channelled through an all-electric take on Audi’s quattro
system, the PB18 e-tron claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of a
little over 2.0 seconds.
The 95kWh liquid-cooled solid-state battery provides a range
of over 500km and can be fully recharged in around 15
minutes with an 800-volt charger. It is also compatible with
Audi Wireless Charging, which enables the car to be parked
over a charging pad and re-powered without plugging in.
One of the PB18 e-tron’s most unique features is the integrated
driver’s seat and cockpit, which can slide laterally within the
car. This allows the driver to be positioned at the centre of the
cabin for racetrack driving, or in a conventional position for
road use.
Further racing inspiration can be seen in the “lateral bridge”
design of the front hood, which enhances aerodynamics
as well as allowing the driver to see directly onto the road
beneath.
A transparent OLED surface is mounted within the windscreen,
which can use navigation and vehicle electronics data to
display information such as the ideal driving line of the next
corner into the driver’s field of vision.
Although it has only been released as a concept, the PB18
e-tron has been flagged as a possible replacement for the
existing second generation R8.
12 CAPRICORN IGNITION HOLIDAY EDITION 2018