A Singular Experience: I drove the Audi R8 Electric

If you’re a keener, you have already noticed that there is an error in the title of this article. Indeed, the electrically powered Audi R8 is actually called the R8 e-tron… And in French, etron means shi...I know, but to appeal to a larger audience, I opted for a more neutral title instead of one that sounds like a digestive enzyme. But you’re right, I should have written “I drove the Audi R8 e-tron.”

Let’s put semantics aside and get to more serious matters. First, this providential test drive took place at an Audi seminar on the green cars that are expected to hit the market in the near future. Audi wants its name to be automatically associated with electric cars, just as the term quattro is equated with all-wheel drive.

The lion’s den

To provide us with a better understanding of this spectacular vehicle, Audi took us to an information centre specially built for the seminar. They erected an all-white structure with an ultra-modern design right next to the football stadium in Ingolstadt, Germany. Yep, you guessed it, Audi is the main – and probably the only – sponsor of this sports team. For all you sports fans out there, they told me this second division team is pretty darn bad and may be relegated this year.  For sure, the cars are much better, mostly on top of their class.

The exhibition room displayed life-size units of the featured vehicles, and the R8 electric was housed in the adjacent garage. Three of these vehicles were on site: the A1 with an electric engine and a secondary thermal engine; the Q5 with a conventional hybrid engine (if you can call it conventional); and the fabulous R8 e-tron, which runs exclusively on electricity.

Each of the participating journalists was given the chance to drive this car for a few kilometres. From the main room, we accessed a garage adjacent to the main structure by opening a sliding door that acted as a sort of gateway. Inside this room, the spectacular vehicle awaited us. Of course, there were technicians buzzing around it. Charge terminals were mounted along the walls, probably to add a little ambiance to the stark white walls that were devoid of other decor.

Sporty interior

When my turn came around, an assistant opened the car door and helped me get into the driver’s seat, while the co-pilot (an engineer, of course) welcomed me aboard with a cockeyed grin, entertained to see how I was going to get comfortable in the seat. Indeed, it is practically a race car seat, with raised sides. So you have to be relatively agile to slide in without looking silly. Despite my sexagenarian’s physique and limited flexibility, I think I did alright. Once I was wedged in properly, I noted that the lateral support is superb, both on the seat back and bottom. It really makes you feel like you’re in a performance vehicle.

In fact, everything about this car says "sport." The steering wheel fits well into your hand and is typical of Audi sports cars with a square bottom section for extra room for your thighs. But the most impressive aspect is the driving position, as much for the pedals and the steering wheel grip. As for the position of the shifter, it’s really not that important, as its use is limited. Since this car has just one gear to go forward and another to go back, the shifter is practically a relic from the past.

Out on the road

As soon as we were comfortably strapped into our seats, the co-pilot pushed the start button and signalled that we were ready to roll. Naturally, I pressed into the accelerator cautiously, as this road beast delivers truly impressive power and torque. The energy comes from a 53 kWh lithium-ion battery that weighs 550 kg, with a useable share of 42.4 kWh. It puts the car’s range at 250 km. The mission of this battery is to power four electric engines – two on the front axle and two on the rear axle. This makes the Audi R8 e-tron a quattro. The transmission of power to the wheels is executed by a single-speed gearbox and small shafts. Maximum power is 230 kW (313 horsepower) and the maximum torque level is 4,500 Nm on the wheels from zero.

That’s why I left the makeshift garage cautiously and at a low speed. The steering is relatively heavy and direct, in addition to being precise. A long straight line stretches out ahead of us and my instructor indicates that I should accelerate, so I do. When I step into the accelerator, the vehicle lunges forward like a wild animal thanks to its monumental torque. 4,500 Nm is 3319 lbs-ft of torque! The word "impressive" doesn’t come close to describing it...

At first, I expected the car to be much quieter than it actually was. In reality, gear and motor noises fill the cockpit. This is no criticism of it, since for many people mechanical noises are a must in sports cars. Low, wide and relatively heavy, this vehicle stays glued to the road. What impressed me the most was not necessarily the road handling (which was extraordinary) but the power that is instantly available at the slightest press of the accelerator. In electric cars, there is no downshifting, no changing of gears. With this kind of torque, you just step down on the accelerator or ease up on it, as required. In corners, the vehicle seems to rotate on itself, which makes the handling even more precise.

By pretending that I wasn’t paying attention, I was able to take the car for an extra lap on the circuit around the Ingolstadt football stadium. As I gained confidence behind the wheel, the electric vehicle became all the more appealing. It’s true that with a maximum range of 250 km, it is limited, but the R8 e-tron is clearly ahead of most other electric vehicles on the market, which are generally sub-compacts. And its performances are impressive as the 0-100 km/hr sprint takes a mere 4.8 seconds.

With these kinds of performances, this kind of road handling and a superior level of driving pleasure, this oddly named Audi is proof that the words "electric car" and "sporty handling" can be said in the same sentence. Incidentally, Ferdinand Porsche’s first car was electric – he used it for racing up hills more than 100 years ago!

I regretfully returned this lovely German car to its temporary garage and expressed my sincerest thanks to the Audi PR team for allowing me to drive this vehicle, which is historic on several counts. If you have doubts about the R8 e-tron’s sport capabilities, you should know that it has won all the events held to date for electric vehicles.

Once I parked the car in the garage, I remained a little lost in my thoughts. Then someone opened the door and asked me to unbuckle my seatbelt and vacate the vehicle. Believe me, getting out of the driver’s seat is even harder than getting in. And it’s not that I’m not athletic enough, it’s just that I didn’t want to get out. I wanted to keep driving!

Leaving Ingolstadt, I found myself hoping that I would have the chance to drive the R-8 e-tron again in the near future.