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September 17, 2009 1:08 PM

Audi e-tron Joins Growing Ranks of Go-Fast Electric Vehicles

By
Jim Henry
(MoneyWatch)  Audi joins Mercedes-Benz and Tesla on the growing grandstand for high-performance electric vehicles.

Audi presented the Audi e-tron concept car at the Frankfurt auto show press preview this week, a high-performance sports car styled like the Audi R8 sports car, only with a purely electric drive system.

Like the battery powered version of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG that was also on display in Frankfurt, the all-wheel-drive Audi e-tron concept has four electric motors. Rival BMW also showed a high-performance plug-in hybrid.

Audi says the Audi e-tron concept gets 313 hp and goes from zero to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds. Audi claims a range of about 155 miles. Top speed is about 124 mph.

Using household current, a full charge takes six to eight hours, the company said. Using special equipment, a higher-voltage charge takes about two hours, Audi said.

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
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