Just about everyone knows that weight is the enemy of performance. While high-end automakers are making progress to offset the added bulk of a battery, EVs are still significantly heavier than an equivalent car equipped with a combustion engine. To cut down on the amount of weight as much as possible, Audi will sell the hotly anticipated E-Tron GT with a carbon roof.
Available as an optional feature, the lightweight roof is featured here in a new teaser episode in the lead up to the world premiere of the exciting EV scheduled for Tuesday. Other than shaving off some fat, the carbon roof will also lower the E-Tron GT’s center of gravity, which in theory should pay dividends in terms of handling and grip.
Technical specifications about Audi’s first EV to utilize a flat-floor architecture have not been provided, but we’re expecting the zero-emissions sedan to weigh just about as much as its sister model – the Porsche Taycan. In other words, the E-Tron GT could certainly lose a few pounds seeing as how its counterpart from Zuffenhausen tips the scales at a hefty 4,566 pounds (2,071 kilograms).
Mind you, this weight only applies to the Taycan in its lightest form, specifically the entry-level version with a single motor, rear-wheel-drive layout before any optional equipment. Step up to the range-topping Turbo S with its dual-motor AWD setup and the weight rises to 5,101 lbs (2,313 kg). The Audi E-Tron GT is unlikely to stray away too much from these numbers, and while that carbon fiber roof won’t dramatically lower the sedan’s weight, any kind of diet is appreciated.
There’s a pretty good chance the list of optional equipment will be quite extensive, and the carbon fiber roof will be among the priciest of the bunch. Interestingly, Porsche doesn’t offer a CF roof for the Taycan, which can be had with either the standard aluminum top or a fixed panoramic glass roof.
We will have all the details about the Audi E-Tron GT and its lightweight roof on February 9 when the electric sedan will finally be revealed in full.
Source: Audi
