Shock and awe: electric supercars unveiled
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept
16 September 2009
Frankfurt is awash with car makers paying ohm-age to electricity and unveiling green supercars.
Audi is showcasing its e-Tron – a purely electric concept which has four motors, two on the front axle and two on the rear.
As a result the e-Tron, which has an R8-inspired design, has 313bhp and an unfathomable 3,319lb/ft of pulling power. And yes – you did read that right.
This will accelerate the electric Quattro from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, 37-74mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. The range between charges is approximately 154 miles.
Gallery: BMW Vision and Audi e-Tron
While Audi went for 100 per cent electric, BMW opted to display its diesel hybrid – the Vision EfficientDynamics supercar concept.
Thankfully, the Vision EfficientDynamics concept’s looks don’t match its rubbish name – it’s a beaut, looking like it should feature in a remake of 1982 film Tron.
And it’s a working concept, driven (very carefully) round the BMW hall in Frankfurt.
BMW has fitted its concept with a 1.5-litre diesel engine and two electric motors to enable a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds and an average fuel economy of 75.1mpg.
We’d like to believe these figures but the cynic in us is a little pessimistic – time for BMW to prove us wrong and turn this concept into a production car.
Not to be outdone by its German rivals, Mercedes revealed its plans to build an electric version of the SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’ supercar by 2013.
Mercedes will be fitting the SLS with four electric motors developing 526bhp and 649lb/ft of pulling power – enabling a planned 0-62mph time of about 4 seconds.
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