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Audi Going Down Electric Avenue
Reuters has reported that Audi has drawn up plans to launch high-performance electric cars in the near future. With analysts predicting a sharp upward rise in purchases of electric cars towards the end of the decade, Audi does not want to be left behind Tesla and the other German automakers.
Audi wants to jump on the bandwagon with the success of Tesla and BMW's "i" series cars. Its first all-electric car, a battery-powered R8, will reach European showrooms in 2015. The car will have a 450 km range.
According to sources in Audi, the company is planning several electric versions of cars and SUVs, one being a new Q8 that will take on Tesla's Model X. Also, with the planned sharing of an upgraded MLB platform (the present avatar of the platform currently underpins the Audi 8 and Porsche Cayenne) cost can be cut drastically.
Germany's big three are taking the electric car movement very seriously, BMW has already launched its "i" series of cars while Mercedes has begun production of an all-electric B-Class.
Also Read: Audi RS5 TDI Concept Features An Electric Turbocharger
Audi has set a minimum range of 400 km for all its future electric models; it had earlier shelved the R8 e-Tron since it managed a range of only 215 km. Audi has overcome the range limits by increasing the efficiency of the electric drive-train and curbing on-board power consumption, development chief Ulrich Hackenberg said.
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