Pebble Beach,Monterey Audi debuts its driver focused concept EV Supercar at Pebble Beach, and it’s a fascinating machine that blends elements of a race car, the designers give the vehicle the nickname “Level Zero” because, despite having a lot of tech, the driver is in complete control and there’s absolutely no semi-autonomous equipment on-board.
The PB18 e-tron from the exterior is a blend of a everything as far as looks are concerned it has the audi’s Supercar R8 DNA from the front, were as side and the rear looks more like a hot hatch The swept-back windshield leads to a flat roof and a pointed rear end.
Powering the PB18 e-tron is a three powerful electric motors – one up front and two in the rear. The latter are centrally located between the steering knuckles, each directly driving one wheel via half-shafts. They deliver power output of up to 150 kW to the front axle and 350 kW to the rear – the Audi PB18 e-tron is a true quattro, of course. Maximum output is 500 kW, with boosting, the driver can temporarily mobilize up to 570 kW. The combined torque of up to 830 newton meters (612.2 lb-ft) allows acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in scarcely more than 2 seconds – a speed that differs only marginally from that of a current LMP1 prototype.In normal road traffic, the driver can limit the maximum speed in favor of range. This limitation is easy to deactivate on the racetrack and can be adapted to local conditions.
The focus is on not just powerful performance but also maximum efficiency. While being driven, the Audi PB18e-tron recovers large amounts of energy: up to moderate braking, the electric motors are solely responsible for decelerating the vehicle. The hydraulic brakes only come into play for heavy braking.The concept of separate electric motors on the rear axle offers major advantages when it comes to sporty handling.
The Audi PB18 e-tron can also be charged cordlessly via induction with Audi Wireless Charging (AWC). This is done by placing a charging pad with integral coil on the floor where the car is to be parked, and connecting it to the power supply. The alternating magnetic field induces an alternating voltage in the secondary coil fitted in the floor of the car, across the air gap.
The concept of separate electric motors on the rear axle offers major advantages when it comes to sporty handling. The Torque Control Manager, which works together with the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC), actively distributes the power to the wheels of the front and rear axles as needed. This torque control provides for maximum dynamics and stability.
The PB18 e-tron from the inside is designed driver-centric that can switch between being a single-seater or having enough room for two people.
At the same time, this layout offers the driver a unique quality of visibility, and not just on the race track. Looking through the large windshield from the low seating position, the driver sees precisely into the opening of the ventilated hood and onto the road, and can thus perfectly target the course and apex of the curve. Mounted within the field of vision is a transparent OLED surface. The ideal line of the next curve can be shown on it, for example, precisely controlled with data from navigation and vehicle electronics. In normal road traffic, on the other hand, the direction arrows and other symbols from the navigation system find a perfect place here in the driver’s field of vision, analogous to a head-up display.The large-format cockpit itself is designed as a freely programmable unit and can be switched between various layouts for the racetrack or the road, depending on the scenario for use.
The PB18 e-tron has no clue as now to be on the production line any time soon.Even so Audi is seriously entering the Electric vehicle segment with the E-Tron SUV, and Let us hope more such vehicle including the PB18 e-tron will make way to the production line in the near future.
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