Audi PB18 600 HP Electric Supercar Reportedly Greenlit To Challenge Tesla Roadster
Bram Schot, who serves as Audi's chief in The Netherlands, told Auto Week NL that it will produce an extremely limited run of the vehicle. Just how limited? Schot stated that the German company will produce around 50 units.
The PB18 e-tron would most directly compete with Tesla's second-generation Roadster, which should go into production in late 2019 or some time in 2020. However, it's a near certainty that Tesla will be producing a lot more than 50 Roadsters once production kicks off.
The PB18 e-tron is powered by three electric motors: one driving the front wheels, while two motors drive the rear wheels. The three motors have a combined output of 600 horsepower and will send the EV from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. The motors are fed by a 95-kWh battery that Audi says gives the PB18 e-tron a driving range of 310 miles.
If the Tesla Roadster's performance figures are to be believed -- and we have no reason to doubt the claims given Tesla's track record -- it will absolutely demolish the PB18 e-tron. Tesla is quoting a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 mph. In addition, Tesla says that the vehicle's 200 kWh battery pack will give the second-generation Roadster a driving range of 620 miles, twice that of the PB18 e-tron.
