Schaeffler gives Audi RS 3 Sedan 1,200 electric horses

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Converting a high-performance car like the RS 3 into an EV is a strong statement

You know how automakers always talk about their racing technologies eventually trickling down to their production cars? Of course you do. But that’s not something exclusive to automakers — auto parts suppliers like to project that image about themselves too. Schaeffler is one of them, and as a Formula E partner for Audi, the German giant decided to showcase “how quickly modern motorsport technology can be put on the road.”

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To do that, they chose one of Audi Sport’s performance cars as a starting point, the RS 3 Sedan. Turning a sports sedan with an internal combustion engine into an all-electric vehicle speaks volumes about Schaeffler’s view of the future.

In the company’s view, the Schaeffler 4ePerformance concept vehicle is a good example of how technology can be “transferred from motor racing to a close-to-volume-production drive concept.”

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The RS 3 got stripped of its 400-hp five-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine and received four Formula E motors instead, sourced from the ABT Schaeffler FE01 Formula E racing car. Each motor has a power output of 220 kW (300 hp), resulting in a system power of 1,200 metric horsepower (1,184 bhp). It’s safe to say the 4ePerformance not only looks like a DTM race car, but also goes like one.

It’s really quick, as Schaeffler says it covers the 0 to 200 km/h (0-124 mph) sprint in less than 7 seconds, but it should also handle beautifully thanks to selective wheel drive and a torque vectoring system.

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You see, each motor is directly connected to a wheel by a spur gear unit, while two motors share one gearbox housing, thereby forming an electric twin axle. This architecture enables selective control of drive torque to individual wheels — or what the industry calls torque vectoring. Two batteries with an overall capacity of 64 kWh supply the power required for this.

Interestingly, none of the four motors is brand new — they have been in use throughout the entire second Formula E season, helping Lucas di Grassi become a world champion during the 2016/2017 season.

Schaeffler has been active in Formula E from the first season, and currently supplies electrified technology for production cars including 48-volt hybridization, high-voltage hybrid modules, and modular electric axles.

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