Will Audi Replace The R8 With An EV Supercar Powered By A Solid-State Battery?

In case you hadn’t heard, the so-called “EV Revolution” is currently underway, bringing the heat to internal combustion with crazy torque and power levels. However, there are still a few ways in which traditional powerplants best their battery-driven rivals, but that might all change if Audi follows through on its research into solid-state batteries.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Full Story

We’ve been hearing about the possibility of a new electrified R8 for years now, with past iterations including the R8 e-tron from 2015. That model came with a lithium-ion battery pack, considered the standard go-to for electric motivation these days, but it was too heavy, not fast enough, and too expensive, and as such, it got the axe not long after its initial debut.

Since then, we’ve seen lithium-ion technology come a long way, offering superlative performance potential in models like the Rimac C_Two and Tesla Roadster 2.0.

However, despite the gains made since the original R8 e-tron was first introduced, the current state of lithium-ion tech still comes with some rather sizable limitations, not the least of which are extended recharge times.

Now, it’s looking like Audi is vying to change that.

The latest news comes from the Australian publication Motoring, which recently spoke with Peter Oberndorfer, Audi’s global head of product and technology communications. According to a recent Motoring report, Oberndorfer confirmed that Audi has been mulling plans to create an EV supercar capable of taking on the Rimac, utilizing a new type of battery technology called “solid state.”

“We consider everything at the moment but I personally believe we need a little bit more battery development ,” Oberndorfer told the publication, pointing to solid-state batteries as one viable option.

“Because if you go very fast you need a lot of battery and don’t want to spend three days going from the Nurgurgring to Munich or the other way around,” Oberndorfer said with regards to the current state of battery tech.

Unlike the liquid or polymer electrolytes of traditional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes and electrodes to store energy, offering myriad benefits in the process, including lower weight, a higher potential operating temperature, quicker recharge times, and higher energy density, all of which are crucial when creating an outrageously powerful and fast EV super sports car.

Unfortunately, the technology is still in development, and will likely cost a lot to put into production. However, Audi is working on rectifying that, as Oberndorfer revealed:

“I think lithium-ion will develop but not very significantly,” Oberndorfer said, adding, “Our development boss Peter Mertens is speaking of solid-state batteries which are still a few years away, but I think it would be an advantage if it will be developed, so that batteries are getting lighter and need less space.”

Indeed, Audi might already have a specific model in mind, as Oberndorfer almost let slip during his interview with Motoring:

“EVs have a very good balance because the battery is in between the axles, it’s very low. Maybe with a sports car it could be different. I can’t tell you about the… about more future plans,” Oberndorfer said.

When asked if Audi was considering technology partners to speed up the development process of its solid-state batteries, Oberndorfer replied, “We are looking at it very closely, let’s put it that way.”

So far, Audi’s line of EV options (all of which adopt the e-tron nomenclature) is expanding. Current projects include the e-tron GT, an electrified super sports sedan destined for a launch some time in 2020, while closer on the horizon is the e-tron SUV and e-tron Sportback.

Motoring0}

	Motoring}
Audi R8 V10	Audi R8 V10 Plus	5.2 FSI V-10	5.2 FSI V-10
Type	540 HP	610 HP
Output	398.3 LB-FT	413 LB-FT
Torque	3.5 Seconds	3.2 Seconds
0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph)	200 MPH	205 MPH