The German automakers are slowly moving towards the electric vehicles lineup. BMW had brought in the i8 with an electric hybrid system, and then it was Mercedes-Benz which introduced the world to the EQC. Audi has joined the group with the introduction of the e-tron to the world. This is the first all-electric mass production car that is going to be made by the brand. The e-tron SUV was revealed to the world in San Francisco, not far from the headquarters of Tesla, its main rival, in Palo Alto. It becomes the first of the many electric vehicles that are in the future plans.
The e-tron is a five-seater SUV that is larger than the Q5 in size and dimensions but just slightly smaller than the Q7. Although the company has not revealed any pricing for India, it is expected that the e-tron will cross the INR 1 crore mark. The main issue that will arise for the electric vehicles in India will be the lack of the charging stations and the overall lack of infrastructure for the effectiveness of the electric vehicles. Even though Audi promises a range of over 400 kilometres on a single charge. The vehicle is quite effective when it comes to charging as well. There is a promise of 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes with a 150 kW DC Fast Charger while on a standard 240V AC wall charger, it would take nearly 8 hours to charge the battery up to 80 per cent.
At the moment, there is only one configuration available, a 95kWh Lithium-ion battery pack that powers both the motors on the e-tron, a 125kW at the front and a 140kW at the rear. The combined power is 300kW or nearly 408 hp. This would allow the SUV to reach 100 kmph speeds from rest in just 5.5 seconds. It is available in three variants in the USA, Premium Plus at US$ 74,800, Prestige at US$ 81,800, and Edition One at US$ 86,700.
Audi e-tron Photos
