Audi R8 e-tron piloted driving concept unveiled at CES

Audi has unveiled the R8 e-tron piloted driving concept at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Asia in Shanghai, demonstrating its commitment to autonomous driving technology. It’s Ingolstadt’s third self-driver after similar experiments with the RS 7 and A7.

Thanks to the road-going R8‘s multi-material Space Frame – carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) rear body module included – the lightweight R8 e-tron piloted driving concept dashes to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.

This comes courtesy of a 0.28 drag coefficient and two electric motors that each produce 228 hp and 460 Nm of torque. Top speed is 210 or 250 km/h, depending on the tyres used.

Standaufnahme

Cockpit

The T-shaped lithium-ion battery, structurally integrated into the centre tunnel behind the occupant cell, has higher energy capacity (92 from 49 kWh) and density (154 from 84 Wh/kg) than before.

The on-board DC/AC Combined Charging System yields a sub-two hour charge time, while the range has more than doubled from 215 to 450 km.

The data needed for self-driving comes from an array of sensors, including a laser scanner, several cameras, ultrasonic sensors and front and rear radar sensors.

All the info is fed to a central driver assistance control unit (zFAS). This compact central computer creates a comprehensive picture of the vehicle’s environment.