A8 Parts Forum - Tesla / S5 conversion..Possibly my A8 ?

I've watched that video with considerable interest - the amount of software work they have done to get all the systems integrated with the car is very impressive. If it can be done to an S5 then it can most definitely be done to a D3, or indeed a D2.

The only problem with that swap is the battery pack taking up the back seat. Component packaging seems to be fairly poor since the logical place for the battery in an Audi is where the engine was. I would personally explore other options for motor location such as putting two motors back-to-back in the space where the gearbox was, driving OE diffs via shafts, or potentially using the Tesla motor modules complete, modifying front and rear subframes to suit. I've not seen any of this hardware in real life though so it may be that neither of these ideas would work.

I would want to split the battery pack up in to three or four modules - the bulk up front in the engine bay where we should have weight capacity for 250Kg at least. Then one / two smaller packs where the fuel tank was since thats all now redundant space - if we used Tesla drive modules complete the fuel tank pack could be a single unit across the width of the car since there would be no propshaft. Back-to-back motors with shafts would make that space harder to use. The third pack would go under the boot floor where the spare wheel well and rear exhaust boxes were. This pack would have to be lightest to have similar to factory weight distribution, so may be a suitable place to put control electronics.

Theoretically it would be possible to arrange batteries to give 50/50 weight distribution, but given that the suspension geometry is set up for a mostly nose-heavy body and mostly FWD drivetrain I think it would be prudent to keep within the bounds of factory weight distribution to avoid any odd handling traits.

I would love to have a crack at a conversion like this, but sadly without unlimited time and budget its not going to happen. I'm sure eventually the costs and complexity will reduce to the point where it becomes simple and economically viable, but we're a way off that at the moment. We still need the eagerly-awaited breakthrough in battery technology I think.