Audi unveils electric supercar
Citing its rich history in motorsport, Audi chose Pebble Beach Car Week to introduce its electricpowered PB18 supercar concept, with three-time Le Mans winner Allan McNish behind the wheel.
The Audi PB18 e-tron, the name referring to the Pebble Beach venue and the year of its debut, had its radical styling developed at the company’s new Malibu Design Loft.
At first glance, the PB18 e-tron shows some similarity to last year’s electricpowered Aicon, notably the side windows that angle inward and the extended wheel arches.
But, while the Aicon was designed as a fully autonomous luxury vehicle, the PB18 e-tron is designed as a radical driving machine for the racetrack and road.
According to Gael Buzyn, head of the Audi Design Loft, “we want to offer the driver an experience that is otherwise available only in a racing car like the Audi R18. That’s why we developed the interior around the ideal driver’s position, in the centre.
“Nevertheless, our aim was to also give the PB18 e-tron a high degree of everyday usability, not just for the driver, but also for a potential passenger.”
So, beyond the immense power of the drivetrain, the absolute coolest feature is that the driver’s seat and cockpit are integrated into an inner monocoque shell that can be slid laterally.
When driven solo, the monocoque can be positioned in the centre of the cabin, the perfect location, McNish notes, for racing. This is made possible by the by-wire design of the steering and pedals, because a mechanical connection of the controls isn’t needed.
When the driver’s monocoque is slid into the side position, from where the PB18 e-tron can be steered like a conventional road vehicle, there is room for a passenger.
An additional seat can be accessed on the other side, integrated low above the ground and equipped with a three-point seatbelt.
The PB18 e-tron uses three powerful electric motors, one up front and two in the rear.
The latter are centrally located between the steering knuckles, each directly driving one wheel via halfshafts. They deliver up to 201 hp to the front axle and 469 hp to the rear. Maximum output is 670 hp, though the driver can temporarily access up to 764 hp.
Audi says the combined torque of up to 612 poundfeet allows the PB18 e-tron to hit 100 km/h in barely more than two seconds. It’s a speed, Buzyn notes, only marginally slower than a current LMP1 race car.
When on the road and in traffic, the driver can limit the maximum speed in favour of range.