Audi PB18 Concept To Make Its World Premiere At Pebble Beach

Audi is presenting a design and technical concept car at Pebble Beach Automotive Week in Monterey, California. The all electric Audi PB18 e-tron presents a radical vision for the high-performance sports car of tomorrow. It's design is more or less broad and flat, which shows that it has been inspired by the wind tunnel and the race track. The concept was created in the new Audi design studio in Malibu, California. The technical concept of the PB18 e-tron has benefitted from Audi's many years of winning the Le Mans racing series and the folks at Audi Sport GmbH helped in bringing in the high-performance aspect to the PB18. 

The abbreviated name "PB18 e-tron" refers both to the Pebble Beach venue for the premiere and to the technological DNA it shares with the successful LMP1 racing car Audi R18 e-tron. At first sight, the Audi PB18 e-tron takes inspiration from the Audi Aicon from 2017. This holds true not only for characteristic design elements like the side windows that angle inwards and the extremely extended wheel arches. The two concept cars from 2017 and 2018 also share their electric drive with solid-state battery as energy storage.

The Audi PB18 e-tron takes inspiration from the Audi Aicon from 2017 

While the Aicon was designed as a fully automated, long-distance luxury vehicle; the PB18 e-tron designed it as a radical driving machine for the racetrack and road. The Audi PB 18 sees a driver oriented cabin. There are therefore no complex systems for piloted driving on board and no comfort features to add weight. In their place are a driver's seat and cockpit that are integrated into an inner monocoque shell that can be slid laterally. When driven solo, the monocoque can be positioned in the center of the interior as in a monoposto - the perfect location for the racetrack. This is made possible not least by the by-wire design of the steering and pedals; a mechanical connection of the control elements is not needed.

Gael Buzyn is Head of the Audi Design Loft in Malibu says, "We want to offer the driver an experience that is otherwise available only in a racing car like the Audi R18. That's why we developed the interior around the ideal driver's position in the center. Nevertheless, our aim was to also give the PB18 e-tron a high degree of everyday usability, not just for the driver, but also for a potential passenger."

When the driver's monocoque is slid into the side position, from where the PB18 e-tron can be steered in everyday driving like a conventional road vehicle, there is room for a passenger. An additional seat can be accessed on the other side, integrated low above the ground and equipped with a three-point seatbelt. The driver also benefits when getting in and out from the easily accessible outside position of the monocoque, which can be moved when the door is open up to the sill.

The combined torque of up to 830 newton meters allows acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph in a little more than 2 seconds 

The car's center of gravity is located behind the seats and in front of the rear axle - which benefits the driving dynamics. This does not involve the engine-transmission unit, as in a car with a conventional drive system, but rather the battery pack. A mix of aluminum, carbon and multi-material composites ensures the body of the Audi PB18 e-tron has a low basic weight.

The concept uses 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 halfshafts. They deliver power output of up to 150 kW to the front axle and 450 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 allows acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph in a little more than 2 seconds - a time that differs only marginally from that of a current LMP1 prototype. In normal road traffic, the driver can limit the maximum speed in favour of range. This limitation is easy to deactivate on the racetrack and can be adapted to local conditions.

The cabin of the Audi PB18 can convert between single passenger and two-person layout 

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. Thanks to the virtually instantaneous response of the electric motors, the control actions are lightning quick.

The liquid-cooled solid-state battery has an energy capacity of 95 kWh. A full charge provides for a range of over 500 kilometers. The Audi PB18 e-tron is already designed for charging with a voltage of 800 volts. This means the battery can be fully recharged in about 15 minutes. 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.