Audi e-tron Electric SUV Unveiled Globally — Audi’s New Bet On Electric Mobility

Published: Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 16:31 [IST]

The Audi e-Tron electric SUV has finally been revealed at the company's 2018 Global Summit in San Francisco. The 2018 Audi e-Tron SUV is said to go on sale in Europe in September this year, with deliveries starting by the year-end.

Audi has priced their e-Tron electric SUV at 79,000 euros (equivalent to Rs 67 lakh), exclusive of taxes. The SUV will also make its way to the Indian market sometime by the end of 2019.

Audi e-Tron Electric SUV Unveiled Globally; First Mass Production Audi EV With 400Km Range

The new e-Tron comes with Audi's signature styling with a sharp and edgy design. It carries forward a more conventional SUV design, similar to all other product offerings from the company.

The front-end showcases an octagonal grille with active flaps to allow air flow. This, in turn, cools the motor at the front axle. The rear of the e-Tron comes with a sloping roofline, along with LED tail lights running across the boot of the SUV.

The Audi e-Tron sits between the Q5 and the Q7 offerings while carrying a similar crossover silhouette. However, thanks to its contemporary styling it manages to distinguish itself from the company's Q range.

The Audi e-Tron SUV comes powered by two electric motors, one for each axle. The front motor produces 167bhp (125kW) and the rear motor produces 187bhp (140kW). This gives the e-Tron a combined power output of 355bhp (265kW) with a peak torque of 561Nm.

The Audi e-Tron also comes with a boost mode, wherein the power output of the electric SUV goes up to 402bhp (300kW). The car claims a 0 - 100km/h time of 6.6 seconds and 5.7 seconds in the normal and boost mode, respectively. The company also claims a top speed of 200km/h for the e-Tron SUV.

The e-Tron SUV receives 432 cells in 36 modules with a power capacity of 95kWh. All the cells are packed together and mounted on the floor of the vehicle, with a total weight of 699kg.

Each cell is rated at 60Ah, higher than both Tesla and Nissan which is rated between 35-56Ah. The battery pack is also capable of fast charging, capable of 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes.

Inside, the Audi e-Tron comes with three display panels with controls for all the features on the SUV. The highlight feature though is the virtual camera rear view mirrors. This means that the wing mirrors on the e-Tron are essentially HD cameras, projecting the rear view image inside the cabin.

The Audi e-Tron is the first production car in the world to feature the virtual rearview mirrors. The display screens for the virtual mirrors can be controlled via touch as well.

The electric SUV also comes packed with a host of other features. This includes virtual cockpit and automatic recuperation, efficiency assist, adaptive cruise control and navigation data for mapping traffic environment.

The e-Tron is also the brand's first model which allows customers to add certain functions online. This new system, however, will be available only from 2019. The new feature will allow customers to upgrade the LED headlights and assist functions. It will also allow customers to add more features to the infotainment unit as well.

The new five-seater electric SUV offers a large 660-litres boot space. Along with an additional 60-litre storage space under the bonnet of the car for extra luggage storage.

Thoughts On The 2018 Audi e-Tron Electric SUV

The Audi e-Tron is the first mass-production electric SUV offering from the brand. The SUV will be produced in Audi's new plant in Brussels, Germany. This plant has been set-up to exclusive produce EVs by Audi.

With the global unveil of the e-Tron, Audi's EV program is finally underway. The new e-Tron platform will also lead to more electric models from Audi in the future.