INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The electric SUV seats five, starts at $74,800 and in official Audi testing, experienced a range of well over 300 miles on a charge
The e-tron will hit Audi dealerships in the middle of 2019, and prospective buyers can reserve one right now for $1,000.
This is Audi first
production electric vehicle and perhaps one of the most significant EVs to be announced since the Chevy Bolt
It has everything Audi buyers expect: Quattro AWD, technology-first cockpit, and a familiar fit and finish
The e-tron is launching to a market with few competitors
It most similar to the new Jaguar I-Pace
Both vehicles offer similar technology and creature comforts for a similar price
But in a way, the Audi is joining forces with the Jag to compete with Tesla .
The e-tron is packed with a 95 kWh battery pack that powers
electric motors on each axle
All-wheel drive is standard, and the vehicle packs two ways to recoup lost energy
Right now, at launch, Audi is not releasing official range numbers and the EPA has yet to certify and release its own numbers.
Inside is
reminiscent of current Audi SUVs
Drivers are presented with Audi virtual instrument panel and several touchscreens
The top center-mounted screen handles infotainment and navigation duty while the bottom is for climate control and text input
The cabin is equipped and outfitted similarly to the rest of Audi line, but the design language is unique to the e-tron.
It clear Audi
designed the e-tron to appeal to traditional buyers looking to jump into electric vehicles through familiar means
The e-tron looks and feels like the rest of Audi lineup
And that probably the point
The vehicle maker took its established formula and plugged it into electric vehicles
The result is something new yet familiar.
[gallery ids="1714457,1714456,1714455,1714454,1714453,1714452,1714451,1714450,1714449"]
The Audi
e-tron
The outside of the e-tron screams Audi
Sharp headlights, flowing body panels, and an angular, aggressive grill
It looks like a new version of Audi mid-size SUV, the Q5
The main design difference comes by way of four small accent lights on the side of the headlights and tail lights
They are designed to look like a battery meter, and the result is a clever, though subtle nod to the e-tron electric power plant.
Clad in
aluminum, the e-tron battery weighs about 700 kg (1,543.2 lb) and is comprised of 36 pouch-type cells, the same type of system Jaguar and
Chevy use in their electric vehicles, while Tesla uses cylinder-type battery cells.
Audi says e-tron battery can be recharged to 80% in 30
minutes using a 150 kW charger.
The e-tron ships with a Level 2, 240-volt/40 amps residential charger that also compatible with 120-volt
Through a partnership, buyers will have the option to use Amazon Home Services to ready their homes with an installation of a home
charger.
E-tron buyers gain access to the nationwide charging network, &Electrify America& and can use up to 1,000 kWh of charge over four
Audi says by 2019 this network will include five-hundred350kW chargers throughout 40 states.
An electric motor is mounted on each axle
motor, though both are not used at all times
At moderate speeds, there is a bias to the rear motor
When the rear motor is unable to provide the vehicle with the desired powered, the front motor kicks on.
The dual motors and single stage
transmission work together to get the e-tron to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds
The tow rating is set at 4,000 lbs which is good enough for a small U-Haul trailer or a couple of jet skis
Audi says official horsepower and torque numbers will be released at a later time.
Like other electric vehicles, the e-tron recovers energy
through braking and deceleration
But Audi took driving efficiency one step farther.
Using navigation and radar and camera data, the e-tron can predictively prompt the driver
to release the gas pedal at appropriate times
If the vehicle knows the driver should slow down, it will tell the driverin the name of efficiency.
Power is returned to the battery from
practically all braking situations whether through natural deceleration when the driver releases the accelerator or when the friction brake
Audi says this system is responsible for up to 30 percent of the e-tron range.
The brakes are electric
When the driver presses the brake pedal, a control unit computes how much pressure needs to be applied, and an electric motor supplies the
Audi says this system is 30% lighter than traditional vacuum brakes.
The amount of energy the e-tron can recover is selectable by the driver
via a paddle on the steering wheel
In the highest setting, the e-tron aggressively recovers energy every time the driver releases the accelerator, which allows for one pedal
But in the lowest setting the e-tron coasts without any braking resistance.
Drivers are presented with few traditional switches and buttons
Most of the controls are contained on two touchscreens
The top, center-mounted screen is 10.1-inches while the bottom is an 8.6-inch screen that mounted in a way that the driver can access it
while their hand is resting on the gear selector
Both screens provide tactile and audio feedback.
This dual screen setup is different from the single, massive screen found in Tesla electric
The top screen handles infotainment, navigation, telephone, and vehicle settings while the bottom is for climate control and entering text
This layout more closely matches the traditional placement found in other vehicles, which will likely reduce the learning curve often
associated with getting in a vehicle with just touchscreens.
This dual touchscreen system is not unique to the e-tron
It the same equipment Audi employs in its high-end sedans, and will likely trickle down to other Audi models in coming generations.
The
driver is presented with Audi digital instrument panel that the carmaker has been using for several vehicle generations
In this instance, the instrument cluster is presented on a 1,920''times;720 display with e-tron specific graphics
The driver can configure the screen to display the speedometer, power meter and infotainment screens in various fashions
Buyers can also opt for a heads up display.
Audi built a companion app for the e-tron
Through the smartphone app, owners can input navigation destination, set battery charging times and schedule service with local
dealers.
[gallery ids="1714650,1714651,1714652,1714653,1714654,1714658,1714659,1714655"]
Racing the Competition
The e-tron has few
competitors but only one that matters: The Tesla Model X, long the lone option for buyers seeking an electric SUV
The Model X is slightly larger, a bit quicker and can be a lot more costly than the Audi e-tron
It also has less range than the unofficial numbers provided by Audi before the e-tron is certified by the EPA
The Tesla is a head turner
while the Audi looks like just another Audi
The Tesla packs autonomous driving modes while the Audi only has adaptive cruise control
The Tesla can seat up to seven while the Audi seats five
And the Tesla can beat exotic sports cars to 60 miles per hour.
The Tesla Model X interior feels like something different while the Audi
e-tron feels like a new take on something familiar.
Both vehicles start out at similar prices
The Tesla Model X starts at $72,100 with a range of 239 miles
The Audi e-tron begins at $74,800 with an unofficial range of over 300 miles
However, to get the extra range in the Tesla, buyers have to opt for pricier packages
A Model X with a 295-mile range starts at $88,600, and the sports-car fast P100D begins at $125,800 — Tesla self-driving features cost an
additional $5,000.
In contrast, Audi offers the same powertrain and battery throughout the e-tron trim levels
For $81,700 buyers get the same range as the base model but gain additional creature comforts like a heads-up display, massaging seats and
parking assist technology
For $86,700 buyers can opt for the First Edition package that includes larger, 21-inch wheels, limited paint, and interior trim and a night
vision mode.
The Audi e-tron closely matches up with the Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar recently announced its electric crossover and is nearing delivery of the first vehicles
Compared to the e-tron, the I-Pace has a similar range, speed, and slightly less interior space
Pricing for the I-Pace starts at $69,500.
The e-tron and I-Pace represent a new breed of electric vehicles even more so than a Tesla EV
Both of these vehicles come from corporations with massive manufacturing might and, while they look and feel futurist, they also look and
If electric vehicles are to become mainstream, the automotive giants need to build them at the same level as traditional
automobiles.
Coming Next Year
The Audi e-tron will hit the United States in the middle of 2019
Buyers can reserve the vehicle starting today with a $1,000 refundable deposit.
When the vehicle hits dealers, it will be Audi most
expensive SUV and among the most expensive vehicles available from Audi
But compared to competitors, the e-tron is priced in the middle of the pack.
The e-tron will hit the market at a pivotal time for electric
Automakers are just starting to stake their claims in the marketplace
Chevy went downmarket with the affordable Bolt
Jaguar is hitting the crossover market with the $69,000 I-Pace
Tesla is the premium player in the field with the Model X
The Audi e-tron sits in a sweet spot between the Jag and the Tesla
The pricing is slightly more than the Jag but is well equipped to stand tall against the larger and more expensive Model X.
The e-tron
success will likely come from consumer awareness
Car shoppers need to know Audi has a new electric vehicle, and Audi seems to understand this
Even before the car launched, the company started advertising the EV with a big-budget TV spot during the Emmys
Since the car doesn''t hit the market for nearly a year, Audi has plenty of time to get the word out
However, that also leaves plenty of time for new competitors to hit the market and for the landscape to shift.
