Audi e-tron: From Drawing Board to Reality
Audi looks set to stake its claim in the luxury electric vehicle market.
Things to Come
As the first all-electric car from Audi, the 2019 e-tron SUV is a harbinger of the brand’s future direction. It’s powered by a 95-kilowatt-hour battery and propelled by a pair of electric motors, one for each axle, giving the e-tron a new version of Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It’s expected to produce 402 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, do zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds, and top out at 124 mph. The battery will be capable of an 80 percent charge in roughly 30 minutes of charging with a 150-kW charger.
I'm Not Like the Others
The e-tron is also decidedly regular in shape compared to contemporary rivals from Tesla, Polestar, and even Jaguar. Audi even plans to retail the e-tron through its traditional dealership network. Filip Brabec, Audi’s vice president of product management told Digital Trends that one of the program goals for the e-tron was for it to be as normal as possible.
Land of the SUV
Interestingly enough, according to Brabec, the 2019 Audi e-tron has been designed with a focus on the US market, not bicycle riding Europeans. “A little bit of China legislation as well, but I would say the US was definitely in the forefront. And this is why we’ve [Audi of America] also been involved directly in the making of the car.”
America’s involvement is also the reason Audi’s first electric vehicle was an SUV, and not a sedan, wagon, or a sportscar. “Once we determined that an SUV is the right place to be, then really sort of working on the design and on the physical characteristics, and making sure that the vehicle really does look like an SUV. As never before, we as a market were very keenly involved in that.”
The choice to lead with an SUV was actually a fairly easy one when Audi looked at transaction prices contrasted against respective sedans. “[It’s a] sweet spot of the market, sweet spot of the luxury segment. [It’s a] growing segment, and a segment that has an ability to digest a reasonable price level as well.“
All-Electric Ecosystem
With the decision to move into all-electric vehicles, Audi also needed to create an ecosystem that would allow its existing clients to feel comfortable, cared for, and normal during the transitioning phase. This includes information and education surrounding home charging, along with the inclusion of a portable level 2 charger.
But another significant factor in switching to the e-tron is the availability of a charging network for its large 95-kilowatt-hour battery. Audi has specifically said it’s not really interested in being a power company and has instead partnered with Electrify America. According to Brabec, Audi also baked some of the charging cost into the car to help ease customers into their new life. Charging infrastructure will also be available at each of Audi’s 302 American dealerships.
What's Next?
Audi plans on introducing even more electric models in the very near future. The first move will be the addition of a shooting break permutation which is expected to follow the form of the e-tron Sportback Concept shown at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show. The e-tron GT was revealed a few days ago at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and more electric Audi vehicles are expected to follow in the coming years.
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