Audi is presenting one of the stars of the 2018 Auto Show in the movie capital Los Angeles. With the electric powered Audi e-tron GT concept, a four-door coupe is making its debut as a show car. The series production counterpart is set to follow in around two years.

The next electric Audi is being launched, following in the footsteps of the Audi e-tron SUV and the Audi e‑tron Sportback slated for 2019. The electric powered Audi e-tron GT concept, a four-door coupe, comes with a flat-floor architecture that provides for exciting proportions and a low centre of gravity. 590bhp ensure performance fit for a sports car. The torque is transferred to the wheels via the quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, as you would expect for such a dynamic Audi.

Separate electric motors are fitted to the front and rear axles. In both cases these are permanently excited synchronous motors. They put down the torque onto the road via all four driven wheels. Thus, the e-tron GT is an electric quattro, since there is no mechanical link between the front and rear axle. The electronic control system coordinates the drive between the axles as well as between left and right wheels. That means optimum traction and just the desired amount of slip.

In future, the vehicle should accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in around 3.5 seconds before going on to 200km/h in just over 12 seconds. The top speed is regulated at 240km/h to maximise the range. One feature that not all the competition can match is the option of fully utilising the drive's acceleration potential several times in succession. While elsewhere the drive is switched to overdrive for thermal considerations, the Audi e-tron GT concept can provide the driver with the full potential of both motors and the battery, thanks to its sophisticated cooling strategy.

The range of the concept car will be over 400km, determined according to the new WLTP standard. The required drive energy comes from a lithium-ion battery with an energy content of more than 90kWh, which takes up the entire underfloor area between the front and rear axle with its flat design. The decisive advantage of this design is the car's extremely low centre of gravity - comparable with that of the Audi R8 - which in turn decisively benefits dynamic handling. All-wheel steering translates this into a perfect synthesis of sports car-like agility and precision, augmented by superb directional stability.

The battery in the Audi e-tron GT concept can be charged in several ways: Using a cable which is connected behind the flap in the left front wing, or by means of contactless induction with Audi Wireless Charging. Here a charging pad with integral coil is installed permanently on the floor where the car is to be parked, and connected 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. With a charging output of 11kW, the Audi e-tron GT concept can be fully charged conveniently overnight.

Wired charging is much faster as the four-door coupe is fitted with an 800V system. This substantially reduces charging times compared with conventional systems that are currently in use. Thus it takes around 20 minutes to recharge the battery to 80% of its capacity. The e-tron GT concept can, however, also be recharged at charging points with lower voltages, providing the driver with access to the entire charging network.