The e-bike Worthersee is neither a pedelec nor a conventional bike, but is best described as a high-end pedelec made by Audi for sport, fun and tricks.

The Audi e-bike Worthersee combines the Audi brand’s principal competences – design, ultra, connect and e-tron – and explores the limits of what is technically feasible in terms of design, lightweight construction, networking and electric mobility.

This show bike is futuristic at the very first glance – a bike for tomorrow and beyond. All its components, even the pedals, have been shaped by Audi’s designers, for instance the 26-inch wheels made from CFRP that weigh only 600 grams (1.32 lb) each and have innovative large-area blade-pattern spokes.

The Audi e-bike Worthersee’s ultra-light carbon-fiber frame weighs only 1,600 grams (3.53 lb). It makes use of bionic principles derived from nature. Material reinforcements are needed only at the points where loads actually occur. The swinging arm for the rear wheel is also made of CFRP. All in all, the Audi e-bike Worthersee represents the full extent of the brand’s expertise in ultra-lightweight design.

The rear wheel is driven by a chain. The electric motor is a permanent magnet synchronous machine; it is located at the lowest point on the frame and drives the bottom bracket shaft directly. Maximum torque at the rear wheel is in the region of 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft). Peak output from the electric motor is 2.3 kW – a new top value on the e-bike scene. The complete bicycle weighs only 21 kg (46.30 lb), equivalent to a power-weight ratio of 9 kg (19.84 lb) per kilowatt, or 7 kg (15.43 lb) per horsepower – another record-breaking value.

The lithium-ion battery is housed in the frame; it weighs about 5 kg (11.02 lb) and operates at a voltage of 48 V. Its capacity is 530 Wh and it can be fully recharged from a 230 V supply in two and a half hours. As an alternative it can be easily detached from the bike and replaced by a recharged battery.

The rider of the Audi e-bike Worthersee can choose between five programs; these either support use of the pedals or permit electric-only travel.

In the ‘Pure’ mode the rider only propels the bike by means of the pedals. In the ‘Pedelec’ mode the rider is assisted by the electric motor; a top speed of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) can be reached and the action radius is between 50 and 70 kilometers (31 and 44 miles). In the ‘eGrip’ program the Audi e-bike Worthersee can be ridden with the electric motor providing all the necessary power; in this case at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The rider controls the power output from the electric motor at a twistgrip and can configure it at the on-board computer.

In ‘Wheelie’ mode the power flow is electronically controlled in order to assist the rider when the front wheel is in the air. Alternative operating modes are available, and can be selected by smartphone or directly at the e-bike: either ‘Power Wheelie’ with an adjustable wheelie angle for less skilled riders, or ‘Balanced Wheelie’ for those with more experience. In the latter mode the rider’s balance is maintained electronically: as his or her weight is displaced forward or back, this is counteracted by either braking or accelerating the electric motor.

In this way the rider can influence the speed when riding on the rear wheel only by shifting his or her weight. Leaning forward speeds up the bike, leaning back slows it down. If the rider wants to use the pedals and maintain a constant power input, the training mode can be chosen. The electric motor then makes good the extra power needed when riding into the wind or up a hill, so that the rider’s performance can be kept constant for training purposes.

The Audi e-bike Worthersee has a varied specification. The nine-speed hydraulically actuated gear shift has a very rapid sequential action, similar to the R tronic transmission in an Audi R8. The two disk brakes are also applied hydraulically. Seat height can be continuously adjusted at a handlebar control, even while the bike is being ridden. The front fork uses the more complex ‘upside-down’ principle; it is air-sprung, with 130 mm (5.12 in) of travel. LEDs are used for powerful lighting: the front light is integrated into the handlebar, the rear light into the seat.

The on-board computer is located in the frame top tube and operated using a touchscreen. Among the functions it provides are riding mode selection, recording trick sequences and adjustment of various e-bike functions such as electric pedaling assistance and lighting. The display shows road speed, distance covered, state of battery charge, energy consumption and slope angle at any given moment.

The rider’s smartphone communicates by WLAN with the bike’s computer. The antenna is integrated into the front brake line. To ride the bike, the immobilizer is deactivated at the smartphone; the bike is then ready for use. In addition, by way of the interface between the bike’s computer and the smartphone, video images recorded while riding or even complete trick sequences can be transmitted to the Internet or the trainer. Every trick performed successfully qualifies for success points. As the number of points increases, the rider is rewarded and at the same time the challenge level rises. The total Internet ranking can be compared with friends or other riders. The rider can locate them by way of Facebook entries that can be shown on the Audi e-bike Worthersee’s display.

The plug-in hybrid has a powerful drive system that enables a driving range of 80 km (49.71 miles) on pure electric power, and it was specifically designed to fulfill Chinese needs.

The Audi A6 L e-tron concept is an important step towards future electric mobility in China for Audi. With its first e-tron technology study in the luxury class, the company is showing what a locally produced New Energy Vehicle from Audi might look like.

The Audi A6 L e-tron concept is precisely tailored to the requirements of Chinese customers. Plug-in hybrids that can travel long distances electrically – thereby enabling zero emissions driving in local areas – are ideal for use in rapidly growing megacities. Beyond its drive system, the Audi A6 L e-tron concept has all of the qualities that customers value in Audi cars: prestige, comfort and sporty performance.

Parallel hybrid system: intelligently combined TFSI and electric motor
The technology study is a parallel hybrid. It brings together a 2.0 TFSI that outputs 155 kW (211 hp) and an electric motor with 70 kW (95 hp) peak power. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is located in a collision-protected space at the rear of the vehicle. In electric mode, the Audi A6 L e-tron concept can travel up to 80 km (49.71 miles) at a constant speed of 60 km/h (37.28 mph). At any given moment, the hybrid control module chooses the best suited operating mode with the focus on driving range.

This technology platform can be operated with only the internal combustion engine, only the electric drive, or in hybrid mode. In addition, it can recover energy during deceleration, or it can boost output power for strong acceleration by combining the two drives. The Audi A6 L e-tron concept delivers sporty performance.

Elegant: the styling
The Audi A6 L e-tron concept is notable for its elegant styling. The sedan, which has a 3.01 meter (9.88 feet) wheelbase, is 5.02 meters (16.47 feet) long and 1.87 meters (6.14 feet) wide, but only 1.46 meters (4.79 feet) tall. Its long engine hood, its low, extended roof line and the sharp lines on its sides create an athletic overall look. Characteristic Audi LED headlights emphasize the car’s determined expression.

The car’s exterior styling shows its differences from the production car. At the front, the single-frame grille with its slender cross-bars and the nearly covered air intakes attract the eye – both features are typical of all e-tron models. Powerful 21-inch wheels in e-tron design and the special rear diffuser highlight the car’s progressive character. On the body, signatures identify the prototype’s technology, while under the engine hood a styling capsule covers engine components. A ribbed contour at its center symbolizes the hybrid drive.

Lightweight and strong with Audi ultra: the body
The body of the Audi A6 L e-tron concept is identical to that of the Audi A6 L. It is lightweight, rigid and safe to a maximum degree, due to application of the ultra lightweight principle. Consisting of approximately ten percent aluminum, it weighs about 15 percent less than a comparable all-steel design. Aluminum components in the load-bearing structure and exterior skin, as well as the high-tech steels used in the occupant cell, make the body significantly lighter.

Each new future Audi model will be lighter in weight than the previous model. This makes the brand a frontrunner in reversing the upward weight spiral. In designing car bodies, developers will intelligently use new combinations of materials, including carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). For Audi, ultra lightweight construction does not solely focus on one material, rather it seeks a flexible approach that utilizes a wide variety of materials – but with one goal: to attain the best performance with the least material usage at the best places.

Furthermore, advanced materials and construction methods achieve an extremely low sound level in the interior of the Audi A6 L e-tron concept. Excellent vibration comfort is attained by fine-tuning components and by hydraulically damping axle and drive mounts.

Comfortable and sporty: the chassis
Audi’s ultra lightweight construction competence is also found in the chassis, which combines a high level of comfort with sporty handling. The links are made of aluminum. The power steering, like the brake booster and the air conditioning compressor, utilizes an electromechanical drive.

At the limits of performance in driving through curves, the electronic transverse differential lock – a function of electronic stabilization control (ESC) – stabilizes the Audi A6 L e-tron concept by making small interventions at the front wheel on the outside of the curve.

Luxurious: interior and features
As in the Audi A6 L before it, the interior of the technology platform continues the elegant styling of its exterior design. Its defining element is an arc under the windshield – the wrap-around – that surrounds the driver and front passenger. The front of the instrument panel is designed in the form of a flowing wave. All of the interior details illustrate the aesthetic standard with which Audi builds its vehicles. All materials have been carefully selected and meticulously worked into the design.

The controls are intuitive. The powermeter replaces the tachometer; its pointer indicates total drive system power on a scale of zero to 100 percent. Colored segments indicate the current operating state of the Audi A6 L e-tron concept; an auxiliary instrument visualizes the charge state of the lithium-ion battery.

Meanwhile, the energy flow indicator tells the driver the current operating mode and which hybrid drive components are currently active. It can be called up from the driver information system or MMI monitor. The large screen shows a bar diagram of average fuel economy and indicates the amount of recovered energy over five-minute intervals.

The Audi A6 L e-tron concept offers a lot of space at all seating positions. It integrates all of the model line’s luxury-class features. The seats offer ventilation and massage functions, the Bose surround system delivers good sound, and the deluxe automatic air conditioning system with air ionizer ensures a pleasant climate in the car. Ambient lighting adds subtle highlights to the interior illumination.

The driver assistance and safety systems also satisfy the highest standards. Audi active lane assist supports the driver in lane-keeping, while Audi side assist helps to change lanes. When it is dark, the night vision assistant highlights detected pedestrians even at a distance; the parking assistant helps in parking. The Audi pre sense system can reduce the severity of accidents and their consequences in many cases.

The car’s features also include MMI navigation plus. Many functions of the large hard-drive navigation system can be controlled by touchpad character input; the touch-sensitive pad, MMI touch, recognizes 29,000 Chinese characters. A team of engineers developed these functions at the Audi Infotainment Tech Center (ITC) in Beijing, where infotainment components from Germany are adapted to suit the wishes of Chinese customers.

Setting a course for the future: Audi’s e-tron strategy
Audi has already launched electrified drive systems in volume production with full hybrid models that have highly advanced lithium-ion technology. The Q5 hybrid quattro, A6 hybrid and A8 hybrid can drive up to three kilometers (1.86 miles) on electric power. In combined mode, which uses the internal combustion engine and electric motor, customers experience sporty driving performance and significantly better fuel economy.

The next step is to implement drive systems in which electric driving is the primary focus. The term Audi e-tron refers to technologies ranging from PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) to range extenders and finally vehicles powered purely by electric batteries or fuel cells.

In its first Audi e-tron concept car, Audi already showed how this future might look. And in the case of the R8 e-tron, this vision will be realized in a short production run later this year.

Audi is using A1 e-tron and A3 e-tron test vehicles to acquire important customer feedback, which can be incorporated in later production cars. The first product will be the A3 e-tron in 2014. It will be followed by other New Energy Vehicles. In this way, e-tron will become established as a further attractive drive technology option alongside TDI and TFSI.

In a series-production Audi, a combustion engine currently supplies the music. The motor in an electric-powered e-tron is not an option, as it is too quiet and its high frequencies are not exactly melodious. Audi’s e-tron models will therefore feature a synthetic sound signature. Rudolf Halbmeir teamed up with his colleagues Axel Brombach and Dr. Lars Hinrichsen to create it.

The new sound – which will be fitted to all Audi e-tron EVs – isn’t a single monotone but created on the fly, depending on the speed of the motors, the overall vehicle speed, the current load and more.

The e-sound itself will be played via a loudspeaker attached the vehicle’s undercarriage.

“We designed it to handle as much as 40 watts, but during normal operation it ranges between five and eight watts. That’s loud enough for nearby pedestrians and cyclists to hear the e-tron.”

Audi says while the e-sound for future Audi e-tron electric vehicles will sound similar, each will have a signature note. The sound of the high-performance R8 e-tron, for instance, goes from a purr to a growl when the throttle is tapped.

The Audi A3 e-tron pilot program will take place in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Denver markets, where Audi engineers and technical experts will explore electric cars in a real world-setting and monitor how e-tron technology operates in everyday use.

Audi made the announcement of the engineering-based pilot program for the A3 e-tron today at TED2012 in Long Beach, Calif., where Audi is presenting a vision for the role transportation will play in the world’s increasingly congested urban centers of the future.

The Audi Social Space will present a variety of perspectives on this topic on touch-screen video installations allowing attendees to pose new mobility scenarios for future urban spaces and contribute in real time to Audi’s live Twitter feed through the #AudiTED hashtag.

Audi A3 e-tron features a fully electric powertrain with a 26kw lithium-ion battery, and zero driving emissions.  Providing a sporty driving dynamic, Audi A3 e-tron has 199 lb-ft torque, a battery range of approximately 90 miles and a top speed of 90 mph all while retaining the full interior space and versatility of the A3.

The Audi A3 e-tron continues Audi’s plug-in vehicle line-up that started with the Audi e-tron unveiled at 2009 Frankfurt Show, than the smaller e-tron concept in Detroit last year, the R8 e-tron and the e-tron Spyder, and continued with the A1 e-tron.

The e-tron name indicates that an advanced electrified power train with a plug-in capability is onboard. As a core philosophy of e-tron, Audi engineers are researching e-tron power concepts tailored to different vehicle types and driving needs including full battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and extended range electric versions.

Audi plans to launch a variety of electric, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid, models over the coming years. They likely include an electric or hybrid sports car, as well as an all-electric version of the Audi A1.

The Audi urban concept features an all-new design that still has certain historical roots in the Auto Union racecars of the 1930s. They were well ahead of their time conceptually: they were extremely lightweight and their engines were mounted in the rear. Their large, open wheels also stood out from the chassis – another parallel with the modern show car.

The Audi urban concept combines elements of a racecar, a roadster, a fun car and a city car into a radical new concept.

Painted in Electric White, pearl effect, today’s technology study – 3,219 millimeters (126.73 in) long, 1,678 millimeters (66.06 in) wide, but just 1,189 millimeters (46.81 in) high – has a body on which all the lines are surging forward. The greenhouse is extremely flat. The roofline drops down like a wedge while the side window rises upward. The typical Audi tornado line gives the urban concept a strong shoulder.

Audi has also developed a second body variant as an alternative to the urban concept: a Spyder with a flat window strip wrapping around the cockpit and doors that open upward at an angle.

The outer skin of the show cars is made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP); the occupant cell is a mix of CFRP monocoque and an aluminum structure. This ultra-lightweight construction is the foundation for the technology study’s low curb weight of 480 kg (1,058.22 lb).

Wishbones made from a combination of aluminum and CFRP locate the free-standing, 21-inch wheels.

Manufactured using cladding technology, the 21-inch wheels are very light and feature a variant of the blade design from the Audi e-tron models. The tire sizes are as unusual as the car as a whole – 125/60 up front and 145/50 in the rear.

The Audi urban concept uses pushrod technology borrowed from motorsports. As in a racecar, the struts mounted in the interior of the monocoque are nearly horizontal. Four disc brakes provide the stopping power. The turning circle measures less than nine meters (29.53 ft)—ideal for a city car. Thanks to the vehicle’s low weight, the rack-and-pinion steering does not require any power assistance. Crumple zones in the front and rear plus two airbags provide for a high degree of passive safety. An innovative assistance system helps the driver to avoid collisions with pedestrians.

The battery is mounted transversely behind the seats. The lithium-ion battery, which weighs around 90 kilograms (198.42 lb), stores 7.1 kWh of usable energy. The study’s two electric motors together produce 15 kW (20 hp) of continuous power and 47 N·m (34.67 lb-ft) of torque. The motors are mounted between the rear wheels, which they drive via a single-speed transmission.

The Audi urban concept accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 16.9 seconds. It reaches 60 km/h (37 mph) in around six seconds. Top speed is governed at 100 km/h (62 mph). Range in the European driving cycle is 73 km (45 miles). The battery recharges completely in about 20 minutes with 400 volt three-phase current, and in approximately one hour with 230 volt household current.

Audi Wireless Charging
Audi is hard at work on the future of charging technology as an alternative to the charging at a power outlet. Audi Wireless Charging (AWC) refers to contactless induction charging. The infrastructure side, comprising a coil and an inverter (AC/AC converter), is placed on the normal parking spot of the Audi urban concept and connected to the power grid. The 3.6 kW primary coil set into the plate generates a high-frequency alternating field.

The charging process begins automatically when the urban concept drives onto the plate. The alternating magnetic field of the infrastructure side induces an alternating current across the air gap in the secondary coil, which is integrated into the vehicle. This current is rectified and fed into the vehicle’s electrical system, where it charges the battery or powers consumers such as the heater. The alternating field is only generated if the vehicle is standing over the plate and thus poses no danger to people or animals.

Charging stops automatically when the battery is fully charged. The driver can interrupt charging at any time. The efficiency of AWC is comparable to that of other charging technologies. It is not affected by rain, snow or ice. The new technology makes charging electric vehicles easy and extremely convenient. A later version of the technology will be able to be integrated into the transportation infrastructure as a retrofit for parking garages or residential streets, for example.

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The electric A2 clean appearance concentrates on the essentials; all details are subtle but shaped for visual impact. The dark glass roof of the white-painted show car switches to transparency at the touch of a button.

The Audi A2 concept is 3.80 meters long, 1.69 meters wide and 1.49 meters high, yet it manages to make a powerful impression on the street. The A2 concept is 15cm shorter than an A1. It’s a fraction narrower, too, but 7cm taller.

At 1150kg the A2 weighs roughly the same as an A1 1.4 TFSI. The A2’s comparatively low weight – for an electric car – has been achieved through a number of measures. Chief among them is a body constructed largely from aluminum, with addition carbonfibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) elements.

An 85kW (115hp) electric motor drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission, with a maximum of 199 pound-feet of torque and an estimated range of around 125 miles (200km) thanks to its lithium-ion battery pack that is mounted in the floor. Audi says it can also use a range-extending hybrid powertrain.

The full charging takes 1.5 hours with a 400-volt current and around four hours using a 230 volt household current.

The A2 Concept can sprint from 0 to 62mph (0 – 100km/h) in 9.3 seconds, and a top speed limited to 93mph (150 km/h).

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The Audi A2 concept is 3.80 meters long, 1.69 meters wide and 1.49 meters high, yet it manages to make a powerful impression on the street. Its clean appearance concentrates on the essentials; all details are subtle but shaped for visual impact. The dark glass roof of the white-painted show car switches to transparency at the touch of a button.

With its headlights, Audi is presenting the next phase in LED technology, known as matrix beam. A package of LEDs and microreflectors generate a high-resolution and non-glaring high-beam light. Delicate daytime running light fibres frame the highly efficient LED low-beam light module. Intelligent tail lights adapt their illumination to the visibility conditions. The rear fog light, produced by laser diodes, is seen as a beam of light in fog and projects a red triangle onto the road as a warning.

The dynamic light runs below the edge of the window from the front to the rear of the A2 concept – a band of light that contains a multitude of innovative, dynamic light functions. Integrated approach sensors detect the driver and unlock the doors via gesture control. While driving, the dynamic light functions as a continuous side marker light. If the car’s turn indicator is activated, light impulses run throughout the entire band of light.

In addition, a red bar of light flows forward from the tail lights when braking and demonstrates the strength of the brakes intuitively for other road users.

The dynamic light is also located in the cockpit area of the show car, structured in two separate arches. Like the entire interior, the dash panel has a light and clean look and intuitive controls. The driver manages many important features via touch-control areas on the inside of the steering wheel. Two additional control surfaces fold up at the driver’s right when starting the vehicle. An open profile serves as the steering column; a seven-inch display and two secondary displays are located at its end.

The Audi A2 concept has a flat interior floorboard. The centre console is attached to the driver’s seat; the rear console extends forward between the two rear seats. The four individual seats add lightness, and there is storage space under the fold-up seat cushions. There is room between the rear seats for a city bicycle with its front wheel removed. The load area has two levels; a frame with functional nets creates the upper level.

The colors and materials in the interior support the impression of lightness and functionality. The large areas from the door top shoulders to the floor bear a new and innovative covering material made of polyurethane with a neoprene surface feel; a ribbed material made from recycled polyester covers the central floor area. The seat shells are made with a plastic blow moulding technique. Aluminum trim elements create highlights in the cockpit.

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Audi will show a hard-top Sportback model and an open Spyder version of the Urban Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The Audi Urban Concept cars, which are a 1+1 seat, aren’t based on an existing model and were developed to be as small, light and sporty as possible.

The Audi Urban Concept has a sleek body. The wheels are free-standing, their surrounding protective plates feature blinking strips of LED lights. The highly concentrated look of the technical study, with its forward-urging lines, is dynamic and emotional – it lends Audi’s design language a completely new impetus.

On board there is room for two people, their position slightly staggered and at a sporty, low level. All controls and materials are subject to the dictates of ultra-lightweight construction in order to ensure they convey a completely unique, sensory allure. The driver can adjust the steering wheel and pedals to his own body measurements. Entry to the car is via the tailgate. The roof is designed to be maneuverable and slides to the rear to open.

The technology in the Audi Urban Concept reflects the full capabilities of the brand, especially when it comes to ultra-lightweight construction. The cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats. The Audi Urban Concept rolls on wheels with a 21-inch diameter.

At 3200mm in length, 1700mm in width and 1200mm in height, the plug in electric city cars are 505mm longer, 140mm wider and 340mm lower than the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.

Two e-tron electric motors provide the propulsion – providing the ultra-light Audi Urban Concept with the ability to accelerate powerfully. A lithium-ion battery supplies the energy – ideal for extended city tours.

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The 2011 victory of the A1 e-tron follows the R8 e-tron’s win last year. The second Audi in the rally, a Q5 HFC with a fuel cell finished in sixth place. A total of 32 electric vehicles were evaluated.

After three days, 307 kilometers and a total altitude difference of 11,541 meters, the A1 e-tron bearing the number 206 was named the winner of the second Silvretta Electric Car Rally Montafon. The event took place from July 7-9 as part of the 14th Silvretta Classic.

The name Silvretta refers to a group of mountains in the eastern Alps of Austria. The Audi A1 e-tron won against 31 competitors in a rally, that was held on highly taxing mountain roads with inclines up to 15 percent, presenting a special challenge to electric vehicles. The Audi Q5 HFC, which was also entered by Audi, achieved sixth place. This was the best final result of all cars with a fuel cell.

The A1 e-tron contains technology that Audi’s development engineers are using to study the mobility requirements for such a future-oriented concept. The technological basis includes an electric motor with a maximum output of 75 kW that is powered by a lithium-ion battery. The battery features a 12 kWh capacity and can be completely charged in 30 minutes (quick charge), or in less than three hours (standard charge). It offers a range of 50 kilometers. To prevent drivers from being stranded by an empty battery, the A1 e-tron also comes equipped with a combustion engine, which can charge the battery as needed. The one-disc rotary engine (254 cc) is located under the trunk floor; it provides 15 kW of output intended solely to charge the battery, rather than to directly power the wheels.

The A1 e-tron is designed with a local emission-free electric drive system, which is ideally suited for driving in a city.

Backed by the power of three propulsion units, the Audi e-tron Spyder is fit for the racetrack. Two asynchronous electric motors drive the front wheels with a combined 64 kW (87 hp) of power and 352 Nm (259.62 lb-ft) of torque. In front of the rear axle sits a twin-turbocharged 3.0 TDI, mounted longitudinally in the direction of travel. It pumps out up to 221 kW (300 hp) of power and 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft) of torque, which are funneled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed S tronic. The mighty V6, currently making its production debut in the A6 Avant, is a highly sophisticated powerplant, emitting a sonorous growl only when under load.

The three units can summon up their power separately or in unison. The maximum system output is 388 hp, with a maximum system torque of over 900 Nm (663.81 lb-ft). The lithium-ion battery, located in the front section of the car, stores up to 9.1 kWh of energy. With 400 volts of three-phase alternating current, the battery takes about one hour to charge up at an electrical outlet.

The concept car with the four rings catapults from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.4 seconds and reaches an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). In keeping with the proposed standard for plug-in hybrids, it consumes a mere 2.2 liters of fuel per 100 km (106.92 US mpg) on average and emits just 59 grams of CO2 per km (94.95 g/mile). In all-electric mode, it has a range of 50 km (31 miles) and a top speed of 60 km/h (37.28 mph). On one fill-up of the 50-liter (13.21 US-gallon) tank, the open two-seater can travel over 1,000 km (621.37 miles).

Under normal driving conditions, the drive management system sends 75 percent of the power to the rear wheels and the remaining 25 percent to the front wheels. As needed, the system selectively applies the brakes to slow the wheels individually or provides precise, millisecond-long surges of power to specific wheels in order to speed them up, allowing understeer and oversteer to be nipped in the bud. The electric motors on the front wheels can be activated individually, and a mechanical sport differential distributes the power at the rear. This high-precision torque vectoring system marks a new stage of evolution for the quattro drive – the e-tron quattro.

The Audi e-tron Spyder tips the scales at just 1,450 kilograms (3,197 lb); its low weight can be attributed primarily to the aluminum body constructed as per the Audi Space Frame (ASF) principle. The engine hood and numerous add-on parts are made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The axle load distribution is 50:50 – ideal for the dynamic concept.

The front suspension features a double-wishbone construction, with trapezoidal links made of forged aluminum at the rear. The setup is stiff, but offers adequate comfort. The rack-and-pinion steering has an electromechanical drive. The design study is fitted with 20-inch wheels; 245/30 tires up front and 265/30 tires at the rear ensure high lateral acceleration and powerful grip.

Standing just 1.11 meters (3.64 ft) tall, the showcar is 1.81 meters (5.94 ft) wide and has a wheelbase of 2.43 meters (7.97 ft). The progressive, delineated design makes it identifiable as an Audi at a mere glance. Its defining trait is the reduction to the essential – also true of the interior with its two lightweight bucket seats and the large, freely configurable display.

Along with the e-tron Spyder, Audi is sending an Audi Q5 hybrid quattro to Le Mans. The production SUV will go on sale before the end of 2011. Both cars will also be on display at the “Le Mans vers le futur” exhibit in the Racing Village next to the Audi Fan Area.

Honda and Nissan are also presenting their green racecars at the second annual Le Mans vers le Futur. Last week, Nissan announced that its all-electric LEAF NISMO RC will take place at the event, while Honda said it will show-off its CR-Z hybrid racecar.