Electric Car News

Until now a Heat Pump was something rich people used to heat their homes. It is a sophisticated device that takes scarce heat that there is in the earth and through a clever thermodynamic intervention “pumps” the heat up to a temperature that is usable for heating. Now, you might think what does this have to do with cars?

Well, when it comes to electric cars, the motors never provide enough waste heat for heating the interior. Audi’s show car – one of the Detroit’s car show’s stars – Audi e-tron has a small heat pump on board that takes the scarce heat from the electric motors and ups its temperature. Great, otherwise we would need to use supplemental heaters that takes energy out of our maximum range.

Audi e-tron is equipped with two electric motors with total of 150 kW (204 bhp) and massive 2,650 Nm torque. Thanks to the aluminium body Audi e-tron weighs only 1,350 kg. It is promised that the electric car would have a range of 250 km (155 miles).

In the 2010 Editors’ Choice Awards from Autoweek magazine, the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron was given the overall “Best in Show” Award. “This was almost a unanimous decision,” said AutoWeek editor Wes Raynal. “This is a concept, yes, but we loved the car’s size and proportions.”

You might be interested in:

1. Audi A1 e-tron to be Tested in Munich
2. Audi Urban Concept Excites Imagination
3. Untamed Electricity by Audi
4. Paris Motor Show 2010 – Part 1
5. Audi Hybrid – 23 Years Later