Audi’s next-gen R8 (and its e-tron sibling) will debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show

By Andrew Hard January 20, 2015

Audi R8 e-tron — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Audi R8 family will gain some new members this year, and it all starts at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.

The next-generation supercar will officially debut at the event in Switzerland, and it will do so alongside the all-electric, on-again-off-again R8 e-tron.

Recommended Videos

Prof. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi board member for technical development, confirmed the news to CarAdvice, saying that the electric version “will be introduced with the successor of the R8, and we will have first example of the car next March.”

The R8 e-tron has been confirmed, delayed, rumored, and everything else under the sun over the past few years, and one of the biggest catalysts for its postponement has been range anxiety.

“The project had to be re-engineered because the range was 220 km (136 miles); it was not enough,” Hackenberg said. With Tesla’s vehicles boasting ranges of 208 to 270 miles, the R8’s early estimates simply weren’t enough.

“Here we are working on a car which is able to go around 500 or maybe a little more kilometers range (310 miles).”

Last we heard, the e-tron was capable of producing 376 horsepower and more than 500 pound-feet of torque. At around 4,000 pounds, the electric R8 is around 500 lbs heavier than its gas-powered siblings, but is still capable of reaching 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

As for the model with the fuel tank, Hackenberg reiterated reports that the next-generation R8 will not be offered with a manual transmission.

“Double-clutch gearboxes are extremely sporty, and if you want to drive extremely sporty and fast, for the record of your personal lap time, you will need a double-clutch.”

The 2015 Geneva Motor Show kicks off March 5^th.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

Cars

EV bidirectional charging: what it is and how to get it

A 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS charge port.

One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles is not only the fact that you can charge at home but that you can use your EV to power your home in the event of a power outage, or to save money by limiting power usage during peak periods. The ability for an EV to not only receive power but also supply it is called bidirectional charging -- and if you live in an area with frequent power outages or other emergency situations, it can offer serious peace of mind.

Bidirectional charging is likely to become increasingly common over the next few years. If you're an EV owner with the ability to charge at home, you'll likely want to at least think about whether bidirectional charging could be helpful for you. Here's everything you need to know about the technology, including its advantages and how to ensure you can implement it.
Advantages of bidirectional charging
There are plenty of advantages to allowing an electric vehicle to not only receive power but to supply it as well.

Emerging Tech

Tesla reveals price range for Optimus Gen2, its ‘robot without wheels’

“The future should look like the future”, CEO Elon Musk said at the Tesla "We Robot" special event held in Burbank, California, earlier this week. Sure enough, Tesla’s much-anticipated autonomous robotaxi, the Cybercab, and its large-van counterpart, the Cybervan, seemed straight out of celebrated sci-fi movies. But as the name of the event hinted at, a vision of the future would not be complete without robots: Several of the Optimus Gen 2, Tesla’s latest version of humanoid-like robot, were found serving drinks, holding conversations with guests, and even dancing at the event.Tesla has recently pitched the Optimus as a potential replacement for factory workers in China and elsewhere. Musk previously said he expects the Optimus to start working at Tesla factories in 2025 and to be available to other firms in 2026.
Yet, at the event, the Tesla boss revealed his expanded vision of a household robot that can do “everything you want: Babysit your kid, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks”.He also gave a closer estimate of the robot’s price tag: Once produced "at scale," Optimus should cost somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk had previously said the robot’s price would be about half that of a car.
Staying true to his sci-fi vision, the Tesla CEO referred to Optimus as a cross between R2D2 and C-3PO, the famous droids from the Star Wars film series.
Ever since the first generation of the Optimus was revealed in 2022, Tesla has emphasized the continuity between its cars and the robot. “Everything that we’ve developed for our cars -- the battery power’s electronics, the advanced motor’s gearboxes, the software, the AI inference computer -- it all actually applies to a humanoid robot,” Musk said at the event. “A robot with arms and legs, instead of a robot with wheels.”
Tesla would not be the first to offer a domestic robot on the market. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has already commercialized a home service-type robot called Spot with a hefty price tag of $74,500. BMW and Open AI are backing robots made by Figure, a California-based company. Meanwhile, Nvidia is developing Project GR00T to also deliver humanoid robots.Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs forecast that the annual global market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion by 2035, with robot shipments of 1.4 million units both for industrial and consumer applications. It also said that robots could become more affordable as their manufacturing cost has been decreasing more than expected -- leading to faster commercialization.

Cars

GM launches PowerBank, a battery that could rival Tesla’s PowerWall

gm launches powerbank a battery that could rival teslas powerwall energy home system bundle

Competition to provide the best energy savings to EV owners is heating up between auto makers.General Motor’s unit GM Energy has just released PowerBank, a stationary energy storage battery pack that gives electric vehicles (EV) owners the ability to store and transfer energy from the electric grid, and allows integration with home solar power equipment.The PowerBank, which comes in 10.6kWh and 17.7kWh battery capacity variants, can power up a home when there is an outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak demand, GM said. In addition, customers can also use PowerBank to store and use solar energy, supplement the charging of EVs and provide power to a home without an EV being present.GM says that combining two of its 17.7kWh PowerBanks can provide enough energy to power the average American home for up to 20 hours.The PowerBank can be bought as part of two bundles: the GM Energy Storage bundle at $10,999, or the GM Energy Home System bundle at $12,700. The latter includes a bi-directional EV charger that can provide up to 19.2kWh of power. By comparison, Tesla’s energy storage system, PowerWall 3, can store 13.5kWh of energy and has a price tag of $9,300.According to GM Vice President Wade Sheffer, one key advantage of the PowerBank it its “modularity,” which allows for easy integration with existing technology.GM announced in August that it would provide vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology on all its model year 2026 models. It will now also offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which can provide additional energy and financial savings.
Energy savings coming from the integration of electric vehicles, solar-powered homes, and energy grids are increasingly at the center of EV manufacturers' offerings.
Nissan, BMW, Ford, and Honda have grouped together to offer the ChargeScape V2G software, which connects EVs to utilities and the power grid. EV owners can receive financial incentives to pause charging during peak demand or sell energy back to the grid.While Tesla has so far backed off from embracing V2G technology, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that V2G tech could be introduced for Tesla vehicles in 2025.