Audi E-Tron Shares Tech with a Surprise Car
Slideshow: A lot of people are excited about the 2019 Audi E-Tron, and for good reason: It is, after all, Audi’s first fully electric vehicle. The first of many, we’re sure. And while the car was created as an electric vehicle from the ground up, it draws inspiration from a variety of vehicles in the Volkswagen Audi Group stable—and some more unlikely places.
Chassis
Audi’s E-Tron SUV is the first vehicle to ride on the new Audi C-BEV platform. Taking a look at the chassis, it’s clear that it was designed as a battery electric vehicle from the start. However, there are elements in the platform that are shared with other VW products.
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Suspension
The front suspension is made up of the company’s common five-link setup, found on vehicles like the Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan. There are two links up top and three below the axle. What’s interesting is that it appears as though the suspension links and axles are located in almost the same exact spots. What’s more, the front track width of the E-Tron is also an exact match to the Macan, coming in at 65.2 inches.
>>Join the conversation about the new Audi E-Tron right here in the AudiWorld forum!
Brakes
The brake pedal is a standard Audi part used on everything, from the A4 to the Q5 and more. The brake caliper, meanwhile, is a six-piston Brembo unit, which is also found on certain variants of the Q5 and Q7. The brake rotor is a two-piece pinned design found on a few other Audi vehicles, not to mention the Ford Mustang GT350. Its design is currently only built by SHW. It uses an aluminum hat pinned to an iron disc in order to save weight. The E-Tron employs a 15.7 inch variant of the rotor: A match in size for the one used on the Audi S6 and about a quarter inch bigger than the one used on the aforementioned GT350. What does it all mean? The E-Tron should have no trouble coming to a quick, painless stop, especially since it’s combining massive discs and calipers with regenerative braking.
>>Join the conversation about the new Audi E-Tron right here in the AudiWorld forum!
Why all the shared parts?
The short answer: It saves time and money. All companies do this, and the Volkswagen Group is well-known for carrying parts over from different models as well as different brands. There is likely a whole slew of additional parts pulled from other VW Group. But regardless of how much is new and how much is borrowed, the car’s performance is getting rave reviews, with some saying it drives like a slightly heavier Macan with instant torque.
>>Join the conversation about the new Audi E-Tron right here in the AudiWorld forum!
For maintenance and repair guides, please visit our How-to section in the forum.
