Green Light Audi R8 e-tron headed for production

A new report indicates the long-rumored Audi R8 e-tron electric sports car has been given the green light for production after spending the better part of the year on the backburner.

Presented at the 2010 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the R8-etron was briefly earmarked for mass production but canceled a little over a year ago when former research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer decided Audi should spend money on developing plug-in hybrids like the upcoming A3 e-tron because pure EVs offered too little range.

New advancements in lithium-ion technology have enabled engineers to increase the R8 e-tron’s range from 216 to 402 km, convincing Audi’s top brass to breathe new life into the project.

The R8 e-tron will reportedly enter limited production in the second half of 2014. Nearly identical on the outside to a gasoline-burning R8, it will be equipped with numerous e-tron-specific parts including a body made largely out of carbon fiber in order to offset the weight added by the battery pack. The car will be powered by a battery-powered drivetrain that will send over 375 horsepower to the rear wheels, enabling it to sprint from zero to 100 kmph in approximately 4.5 seconds.

Audi has not commented on the rumor, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the production-intent R8 e-tron unveiled at next September’s Paris Motor Show. Aimed at the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid, the car will be billed as the flagship of Audi’s upcoming e-tron lineup and cost significantly more than a regular R8.