Recently updated on July 1, 2022 at 12:36 am
A late summer day in Neuburg an der Donau. A near-series RS stands in front of the Audi Motorsport Competence Center e-tron GT, surrounded by four men. Lucas di Grassi, Formula E driver from Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and champion of the 2016/17 season, discussed with three e-tron GT developers: Dennis Schmitz comes from Audi, Jaan-Mattes Reiling from Audi Sport GmbH and Christian Schröder from development partner PSW, a subsidiary of Audi.
Audi RS e-tron GT prototype
Lucas di Grassi is a full professional - at the wheel and off the track. The native Brazilian, who now lives in Monaco, has been driving for Audi since 2012. In 2014 he won the first race of the then new Formula E, followed three years later by winning the title with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler. Di Grassi has stood on the podium for Audi 32 times in the past six years, making him the most successful driver in the electric racing series. The RS is also characterized by strong performance e-tron GT prototype out. It is a sovereign Gran Turismo, in the RS version with special performance. The near-series RS e-tron GT is an example of the brand's premium mobility and meets customers' demands for high performance. Its dynamism, its precision and its high efficiency make it a pioneer with a strong character who will shape the future of the brand.
Innovation and sustainable climate protection
Even the racing professional thinks far beyond motorsport. Lucas di Grassi is the international UN ambassador for clean air - for him, technological innovation and sustainable climate protection go hand in hand. And of course the technology fan from Monaco is very interested in Audi's next electric car project, the e-tron GT. In Neuburg he has the opportunity to drive the all-electric prototype as an RS model on the test track. For the developers Schmitz, Reiling and Schröder, it is the moment of truth: the RS, which is near-series, is achieved e-tronGT in the judgment of the racing driver the goals they have striven for?
Dennis Schmitz: Well, Lucas, what do you say after the first five rounds?
Lucas di Grassi: The car is fun! A Gran Turismo is of course something completely different from a racing car. But there are still many parallels, especially the strong acceleration, which, like us, is fully available for a long time. From zero to one hundred in well under four seconds, even in the fifth lap - how did you do that?
Christian Schroeder: You know that you need strong thermal management for high and reproducible power output. We have in e-tron GT two coolant circuits for the technical components that work at different temperature levels. The cooler one controls the temperature of the high-voltage battery, the warmer one supplies the electric motors and the power electronics. There is also a cooling circuit and a heating circuit for the interior, which your racing car probably does not have.
Smith: We can flexibly interconnect these four circuits using valves, for example as a highly efficient heat pump for the interior. The most demanding requirements, however, are certainly the cooling of the high-voltage components under high loads and the cooling of the battery during fast DC charging. After all, we achieve an output of 270 kW here, which generates a lot of heat.
Di Grassi: Pretty ingenious! With so much high tech that is e-tron GT even more innovative than my Formula E racer when it comes to cooling. The temperatures are of course more extreme in Formula E, which is why we even cool the battery while charging Dry ice actively below the outside temperature. This gives us more room for maneuver with the system temperature in the race. Because there we demand a lot from the drive train with the constant change between full load and recuperation, which of course heats up the battery and costs energy. The more extreme the conditions, the more I have to pay attention to efficiency and manage the power supply in order to still have enough power in the last laps.
Jaan-Mattes Reiling: Foresight is also important to us, but on a different level. We use a special function to ensure that the driver can charge with the highest possible power while on the move. If the car drives a longer distance with active navigation, it does e-tron Route planner suggestions on where to load. About half an hour before the selected column is reached, the thermal management begins to preheat the battery, precisely matching its charge level and the output of the column.
The Audi e-tron GT went through an unusually short development process. Its design freeze came very early, also because Audi largely replaced physical models with virtual ones here. The development process was very lean, decisions were made quickly and quickly. PSW took on important parts of the work under the direction of Audi. Audi Sport GmbH was responsible for the setup of the chassis - and for this it receives great praise from Lucas di Grassi.
Di Grassi: What I particularly like is the handling. You say that as a Gran Turismo, the car must also offer good comfort. As a racing driver, that's not really the big issue for me. But the grip and the precision with which the car turns corners - that's really impressive.
railing: Thank you, Lucas, I'm glad! During development, we tried to bring all strengths together to create a coherent overall picture. And we were able to draw on the full range of technology. For example, the three-chamber air springs that we use here are the ultimate in their field. They enable a soft basic suspension, give us a great deal of freedom in tuning and can adjust the body to different height levels. But above all, they work perfectly with the regulated dampers. Both systems are managed by a central chassis control unit and can be controlled in several modes via Audi drive select. We have of course set the hottest program for you.
Smith: Our customers can use the e-tron GT get practically all state-of-the-art technologies that are available today. This also includes all-wheel steering, in which the rear wheels turn - in opposite directions at low speeds to increase dynamics, and in the same direction at higher speeds for the sake of stability. The front axle steering is sporty and direct, but not geared to a sharp point. This is also typical of our Gran Turismo philosophy.
Di Grassi: And the RS e-tron GT prototype brakes very well - strong and precisely controllable. With such a large electric car, that was certainly not easy to develop ...
Schroeder: You drove the near-series RS model with the carbon fiber ceramic brake discs - they are also among the best there is. The e-tron GT steel discs, optionally there are discs with a coating of tungsten carbide, which improves the performance. And we put the car on what is probably the most beautiful wheels that Audi has ever seen. What I find most fascinating are the large 21-inch wheels, because of their great design and elaborate manufacturing. The 20-inch models are aerodynamically the best, and the 19-inch models on the front axle weigh only about 12,5 kilograms each. This brings real advantages in handling and, above all, in consumption and range.
Energy consumption - that is a keyword that Lucas di Grassi is always interested in. And not only in his job as a racing driver in Formula E, but also as a thought leader in climate protection through innovation. Here he represents the same philosophy as AUDI AG: Electromobility is the right path to the future of sustainable mobility - if the electricity used comes from renewable sources. Di Grassi is an ambassador for clean air at the United Nations, and in Brazil he is an entrepreneur for new technologies. In his hometown of São Paulo, he launched the technology congress “Zero Summit”.
Di Grassi: I helped launch Formula E in the early 2010s because it was clear to me that electric cars would be the future - on the road and on the racetrack. And the further this development progresses, the more it speaks for itself.
railing: We have shared a success story with you that has lasted for several years. In 2017, we were the first German manufacturer to enter Formula E at the factory to show how dynamic, fascinating and emotional electric driving can be.
Smith: The development of our production vehicles also benefits from motorsport, and that's where we want to be at the forefront of change. By 2025, Audi will bring around 30 new electric cars and plug-in hybrid models onto the market, electrifying each series. Of course, it is clear that electromobility is only really sustainable with clean electricity. Sustainability is our claim and at the same time an absolute necessity for our continued success.
Schroeder: Lucas, you travel around the world a lot and you also know the environmental problems on other continents. In 2019 you were in New Delhi for the United Nations and filmed the documentary "The Race for Clean Air" there. What was it about?
Di Grassi: I wanted to awaken a certain thought that should give us all courage. New Delhi is one of the cities with the highest levels of air pollution - and if solutions for better environmental protection are found and applied there, then this is possible anywhere. I firmly believe that sustainability must be based on technology and innovation. Because only if sustainable solutions are not a compromise, but also better solutions at the same time, will they prevail.
Five statements on the RS e-tron GT from Julius Seebach, Managing Director Audi Sport
"Audi Sport stands for high performance: in motorsport and on the road. We rely on a clear electrification strategy in the high-performance segment. The near-series Audi RS e-tron GT is the sporty and technological spearhead of Audi's e-offensive."
"Electrification makes our portfolio future-proof and it will inspire our customers! The Audi e-tron GT is a highly emotional image carrier for the brand and the basis for our first all-electric high-performance model."
"The near-series Audi RS e-tron GT is a milestone for us. It is the entry into the fully electric RS world and a clear statement about the CO2-Climatic goals."
"The RS models are the sportiest and most emotional models from Audi. They each offer the most powerful engines, the highest dynamics and the greatest driving pleasure - and all of this with absolute suitability for everyday use. With the RS e-tron GT prototype we are transferring this special character into the electric age. This is a revolution for us in the high-performance segment."
"The near-series Audi RS e-tron For us at Audi Sport, GT is the entry point into the fully electric RS world. At the same time, however, we are also keeping our promise to bring future RS models to the basic model in a timely manner. That is high performance in the team and in the product!"
Photos: Audi
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Audi RS e-tron GT prototype proves itself in first tests!
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