Tire Pressure At Fault In 5 Percent Of Accidents...
News
Reviews
Guides
Gas Mileage
Car Types

Audi E-tron Torque Numbers Recalculated, New Output 501.5 lb.-ft

 
1,708 views Dec 27, 2009

Audi R8 e-Tron Los Angeles 2009

Audi R8 e-Tron Los Angeles 2009

Enlarge Photo

Previous reports of the highly anticipated Audi E-tron electric vehicle have definitely raised some questions about the claimed torque rating of 3,319 lb-ft.  Though the number is a true calculation, it does not follow industry standards for torque ratings.  Adjusted to industry standards, the E-tron outputs only 501.5 lb-ft.

How did Audi arrive at that impressive number?  The E-tron is powered by four independent motors, one at each wheel.  Audi engineers claim that the E-tron's torque numbers were calculated at the wheels.  Therefore, the wheel torque rating is 3,319 lb-ft. 

However, industry standards do no rate torque at the wheels.  They rate torque at the motor.  Even Audi rates all of their others vehicles in torque output at the motor.  When you examine the combined real torque numbers of all 4 motors, the E-tron is still a capable vehicle, with 501.5 lb-ft. of torque, though not nearly as impressive as the locomotive levels of torque previously claimed by the company.

Audi states that they used the wheel torque numbers because it is a more accurate indication of how electric motors deliver power.  The numbers are a better indicator of the immediate "grunt" that is available.

But Audi never indicated that the E-tron's rating were somewhat inaccurate.  Industry wide whether in a gasoline car, a diesel commercial vehicle, or an EV, torque numbers are universally measured at the motor before the transmission and axle ratios can affect the output.

The accurate 501.5 lb-ft. number is useful for comparison shoppers.  The V12 Audi Diesel outputs 737.5 lb-ft. of torque while the incredibly fast Tesla Roadster makes do with only 273 lb-ft. of torque, still enough torque to beat the E-tron to 60 mph by a full second.

Source:  Edmunds.com





Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (3)

  1. By Patty Porter Posted: 12/28/2009 7:55am PST

    (Please re-post)
    Less than 20 car companies applied for $25 BILLION DOLLARS in taxpayer money managed by a certain smug group of people at DOE in order to get loans to make green cars for Americans’. This was not all of DOE that did bad things, just a private cadre of men.
    There was enough money to help every single one of the car companies that applied. The administrators applied their interpretations of the law in order to benefit the large lobby group-related firms and avoided every one of the “unconnected” companies.
    The amount of lobby and influence money spent is in direct ratio to the amount of money awarded.
    The smaller companies, due to lower overhead, could have dramatically more productive results with the money than the large burdened companies yet the money was given out based on political career advantages rather technology advantages.
    All of the people that reviewed the applications had political and financial connections to GM, Ford, Chrysler and the large Detroit recipients.
    Each of those smaller American companies had technology and resources that presented a strong economic threat, if they got the loans, to the large politically connected companies that did receive funds.
    Some of the companies that have gotten money have backed out of making the electric cars they said they would make. But they still get to keep the money.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. By John Posted: 12/31/2009 5:53am PST

    Patty, it takes alot longer to prove that a small startup with no financial history and a questionable business model will be able to pay the money back (fiscal responsibility). On the other hand, despite their recent troubles, the big 3 have historically been among the most successful enterprises in history. For the big 3, when times are good, they are really good, when times are bad, they are really bad. And when they are really really bad, they go bankrupt. This is a phenomenon known as operating leverage, and is nothing new. It all needs to be taken into account when anyone loans anyone money, and can take time, especially when taxpayers demand fiscal responsibility. You obviously do not know what you are talking about.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. By On Topic Posted: 1/2/2010 12:37am PST

    Audi correctly raises an important distinction between electric drive, with maximum torque at 0 rpm up to about half the vehicle's maximum speed and instant, strong totally smooth acceleration available at all times, and internal combustion engine drive, which provides slow launches, peaky power bands and herky, jerky shifting, comparatively, for the same torque rating. The way torque works and feels in each application is very different. Performance electric drive vehicles do feel like unstoppable locomotives on launch, because modern locomotives use electric drive.
    The MOST important metric for electric vehicle launch and acceleration performance is TORQUE FEET (torque pound feet divided by the weight of the vehicle and a driver in pounds). It explains why a Tesla can be faster at 0-60 than the Audi E-Tron though it has fewer torque pound feet, as the Tesla obviously weighs a lot less.
    TORQUE FEET allows for direct comparison between different weight vehicles, with a higher number meaning faster, stronger launches, although the same torque will always be smoother at all times, stronger at the low end and be more responsive in an electric than in a full gasser.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Find Green Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
Green Car Reports
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 Green Car Reports. All Rights Reserved. Green Car Reports is published by High Gear Media. Send us feedback. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC.