Based on the Audi R8 e-Tron electric supercar, the Audi F12 e Sport may look the same as the high-powered supercar, but under the hood is a completely different story.
Co-developed by Audi, Bosch, and university researchers, it features a somewhat more practical electric vehicle [EV] drive-train type that could be used in a number of other vehicle types, from subcompacts to crossovers.
The 38 kWh battery pack is just shy of the R8 e-Tron’s battery pack, but also powers three electric motors, one on the front axle, and two on the rear wheels. Lower speeds only require use of the front motor, but as speed and power requirements get higher, the two rear motors kick in for a total output of 204 horsepower.
One interesting feature of the Audi F12 e Sport is the heat pump for battery cooling. Hot days require more battery cooling, but on cool days, the heat generated in the battery pack can be used to heat the passenger cabin, reducing the need for auxiliary heating.
Audi, on of the best known automobile companies in Germany, could find itself on top of other EV manufacturers with these simple, yet practical, adjustments to their EV design and implementation.
