Updated Audi e-tron Hits the Road for the E-Cannonball Rally
At this point, we don’t know exactly when the next Audi e-tron will debut. But we do the sheet metal has been tweaked.
It’s almost hard to believe, but the Audi e-tron has been on sale for almost five years — and that means it’s time for a through update. At this point, Ingolstadt isn’t quite ready to show off the latest version, but it did let a pre-production prototype out to play for Germany’s E-Cannonball. And while the e-tron in question was wearing a white, black, and orange livery, eagle-eyed folks can notice some changes from the model currently in Audi showrooms.
Most notably, we’re looking at revised fascias front and rear, and it also appears the newest models with be getting updated wheels. That said, Audi has been on a path of constant improvement with the e-tron since its release. For the 2021 model year, we saw a range increase of 18 miles, with meant that drivers could aim for a range of 222 miles on a full charge. Last year saw arrival of the performance-oriented e-tron S, which boasts three motors and 496 horsepower. For those keeping score, that’s 94 more ponies than the standard model.
Aside from the visual changes which are obvious from the teaser photos, everything else is speculation. But the smart money says that while we might not see a huge increase in available power, we’ll likely see a robust improvement to the range. Because while 222 miles is perfectly serviceable for the needs of many folks, especially those with at-home charging, automakers have long targeted internal-combustion vehicles to have a 300-mile range between fill ups. So that’s likely what we’ll see here.
One question that insiders are asking if whether this latest update will keep the e-tron moniker, or be changed to the Q8 e-tron. An all-new electric Q8 is already planned for production in 2026, so as Audi continues its transition to a fully electric lineup, it would make sense to start folding the electric vehicles into the company’s standard nomenclature.
Of course, the ongoing supply chain issues, not to mention the delays with Audi’s forthcoming flagship mean timetables have to be more flexible than the brass would like. Since 2023 is just around the corner, we should have pictures of the production version within the next month or so, along with specs on exactly what work the engineers have done under the skin. Stay tuned!
Photos: Audi