It appears that the Audi R8 e-tron depicted in “Iron Man 3” might be the closest most of us will ever get in actually seeing the all electric sports car on the road.
Less than a month after the debut of the blockbuster feature film that depicts the tech genius, Tony Stark, driving the R8 e-tron, Audi has said it’s axing plans to sell the all-electric model because the battery isn’t meeting the company’s expectations, according to Auto Car.
The UK auto news source reports that it’s really a matter of the cost of the batteries, which makes the R8 e-tron “unviable” for mass production – although the car would have likely been sold in limited volume anyway.
According to Auto Car, there have also been rumors that Audi was concerned about the limited range of the vehicle and long charging times that are a result of the current battery technology.
The R8 e-tron, which Audi once touted as “the future of electric mobility,” features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and pair of electric motors that generate an output of 280 kW (375 hp) and 820 Nm of torque (604 lb-ft.).
Audi claims the EV supercar can shoot from zero to 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.6 seconds with a top governed speed limit of 200 km/h (124.27 mph). A top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph) was approved for a record-setting lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife
Range was estimated at about 215 kilometers (133.59 miles) in optimal driving conditions.
Auto Car reports that ten of the latest design of R8 e-trons built will now be used strictly for testing and development, which could suggest that Audi hasn’t completely abandoned the project.
