PB 18 e-tron signals Audi’s electric future

Audi has announced it will reveal its next show car, the electric Audi PB 18 e-tron, on August 23 during the Pebble Beach Car Week.

The car’s reveal time makes up the ‘PB 18’ part of its name (Pebble Beach 2018), though its initial reveal will take place at Laguna Seca, followed by a showing at The Quail the following day, and then finally on August 26, at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach.

The design is also influenced by the similarly-named Audi R18 e-tron which competed in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship for several years.

While it’s unknown what type of electric powertrain will drive the PB 18, Audi says the technology from the R18 has “inspired the solutions for various details” of the show car.

While there’s speculation that this is the ‘next Audi R8’, MOTOR’s European Editor Georg Kacher recently revealed to us that there will be no direct replacement for the Audi R8 once it’s gone, and that the fully electric R8 e-tron is no longer under development.

“There will be no direct replacement for the slow-selling R8 which is going to be phased out in late 2020 when the new Huracan based on the promising carbon-fibre monofuselage matrix arrives,” Kacher said.

“Also dead are the proposed zero-emission R8 e-tron and the Scorpion supercar powered by a 1000bhp V8 boasting a high-tech desmodromic valve train redlined at 13,000rpm.”

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But Audi’s electric future is still set to pick up pace quickly as the brand’s E GT project (also known as J1, after the platform it shares with the Taycan) nears realisation.

Audi and Porsche are also jointly developing three versions of a new all-electric matrix dubbed ‘PPE’, according to Kacher.

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“Insiders expect this… to include S and RS versions of E5 (electric A5), E7 (electric A7) and EQ5/6/7/8/9 (all electric crossovers).

“Not surprisingly, the power boost that must come with every RS offering is fuelled (we’re not sure if Kacher intended this to be a pun) by high-performance batteries and more potent E-motors.

But Kacher also says not to expect a fully electric sports car from Audi, meaning the PB 18 e-tron will likely remain a concept.

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“Such a derivative [an electric Audi sports car] would have to be dialled in from the outset to the so-called SAZ (sports car architecture of the future) which is being compiled in Weissach as you read these lines.

“The first jointly conceived overtly sporty BEV may be a compact two-seater set to eventually replace both the Audi TT and the 718 Boxster/Cayman. The timing of this project is still unclear.

“Sources suggest that there will be one more redesign of the conventional models before the silent sports cars put in an appearance in 2025/26.”