New state-of-the-art model powers Audi into booming electric market
Audi AG has started its electrification offensive with its first mass-produced electric model, the Audi e-tron, unveiled last week. With a dozen such models to follow in coming years, the German carmaker is charging ahead into the booming new energy vehicle segment.
Peter Mertens, member of the board of management for technical development at Audi, said: “The Audi e-tron is definitely a highlight in the history of our company and the starting signal for our electrification strategy.”
The Audi e-tron, a five-seat electric SUV now made in Belgium, made its global premiere at an Audi brand summit in San Francisco on Sept 17.
Thanks to two state-of-the-art electric motors and the Quattro four-drive technology, the full-sized SUV boasts outstanding sportiness and handling with unmistakable Audi DNA.
The e-tron is fully suitable for everyday use and offers a long range of more than 400 km (248.5 miles) according to the WLTP cycle. Audi’s industry-leading energy recuperation system can help the Audi e-tron extend the range by about 30 percent.
With a charging capacity of up to 150 kW, it can get 80 percent charged in 30 minutes, thus allowing motorists to enjoy the satisfaction of emission-free driving.
The Audi e-tron has a maximum output of 300 kW and a top torque of 660 Nm. Its top speed is 200 km an hour.
The model is 4,901 mm long, 1,935 mm wide and 1,616 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,928 mm and a trunk space of 660 liters.
The Audi e-tron features the Audi AI, a customized driving assist system that offers the driver various aids including parking, safety alerts and cruise control.
Audi’s connectivity system myAudi keeps the Audi e-tron connected to the internet anytime and anywhere.
With the application, which can be updated over the air, the driver can enjoy a variety of functions ranging from navigation and entertainment to charging information.
The global debut of the e-tron is the latest result of Audi’s efforts in digitalization, urbanization and sustainable development under its parent company Volkswagen AG’s Strategy 2025, the carmaker said.
Audi said it is transforming itself from
The Audi e-tron is definitely a highlight in the history of our company and the starting signal for our electrification strategy.”
Peter Mertens, member of the board of management for technical development at Audi
a traditional carmaker into a mobility service provider with primary focus on the Audi e-tron, Audi AI and the onboard connectivity services myAudi.
Audi is expected to debut the Audi e-tron GT concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year. By 2025 the German premium carmaker will offer 12 electric models, covering every segment from compact to full-size class.
In addition to electric models such as the Audi e-tron, the carmaker also plans to enrich its lineup with plug-in hybrids to consolidate its leading position in the new energy vehicle era.
“In the future, virtually every market segment will include models powered by a combination of electric motors and a combustion engine, and that can be charged at an electric outlet,” Mertens said.
By 2025 Audi is expected to sell 800,000 new energy vehicles a year, accounting for one-third of its global car sales.
Audi is also working with several other brands under Volkswagen AG on the development of the modular electrification platform, which serves as the basis for a series of Audi e-models, particularly in the highvolume A segment.
One of these is being developed specifically for the requirements of China, Audi’s single most important market.
In the first eight months of this year Audi’s sales in the country stood at 417,234 units, up 15.8 percent year-on-year and accounting for 32.9 percent of its global sales.
Considering Audi’s popularity in the country, China will be among the first countries in which the e-tron will be available starting from next year, the carmaker said.
The model will be localized in the country from 2020. It will be the first electric SUV manufactured at Audi’s Chinese joint venture FAW-Volkswagen.
The joint venture said that by 2022 it will offer 10 electric models in different segments in the Chinese market in an effort to better meet local customers’ demand.
In addition to offering a growing number of model choices, Audi will offer its customers easy and convenient charging solutions with its partners in the country, alleviating the mileage anxiety that haunts many electric car owners.
The electrified lineup and charging solutions will further help propel Audi’s rapid development in China, where it has been the sales champion in the premium segment for three decades in a row, according to analysts. China overtook the US as the world’s largest new energy vehicle market in 2015. Last year 770,000 such vehicles were sold, and 1 million are expected to be sold this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.