Audi has published the first teaser of the concept of a supercar with an elegant silhouette and an electric transmission. The vehicle is called PB18 e-tron and the Germans say that the name and the year of its debut are encrypted in this name.
Given Audi’s hint, it’s not hard to guess that the PB18 e-tron will make its debut at the current Elegance Competition at Pebble Beach (PB – from Pebble Beach). So we are waiting for the all-electric supercar debut, which will be held on the California racing track Laguna Seca on August 23 and 24.
The only image shows that the new car is something rather sleek and very low, with just a hint of the rear wing visible on each side of the roof. Aside from telling us the backstory of the car’s name, Audi says this new concept recalls the R18 e-tron LMP racer, which won Le Mans with its hybrid powertrain layout. Additionally, the LMPs technology was an inspiration for finding “solutions for various details” on this new concept car.
The styling of the Audi PB 18 e-tron was developed at the new Malibu Design Loft. And, importantly, it will not just be a beautiful show car, but an acting model.
Audi says that the prototype will serve as a “design study for a puristic sports car of the future.”
It is actually not the first time that Audi built an electric supercar. They built and sold a battery-powered version of the Audi R8 marketed as the ‘Audi e-tron’.
The Audi e-tron was first unveiled in 2009 – right after Tesla started delivering the original Roadster. The German automaker claimed it can travel up to 280 miles (NEDC) on a single charge and accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph.
