Plug- in has torque on tap
AUDI Q7 E- TRON QUATTRO ENGINE: 3.0- litre, V6 TDI turbo diesel engine ( 190kW/ 600Nm) w/ electric motor ( 94kW/ 350Nm) PRICE: $ 158,400
Heaps of space, awesome torque, plug- in hybrid earlyadopter brownie points, Audi builds quality No third- row seating, if you’re wanting your plug- in Audi to stand out from the crowd; sorry but the Q7 e- tron plays it subtle its larger, higher- end models first? Simple economies of scale, really.
High tech developments fitted to lower- cost hatchbacks and city cars tends to drive the purchase cost of those cars skyward, to a point where the benefit of electric technology is lost on the audience for the car itself. Develop that technology in a higher- end vehicle where a tech- savvy, early- adopter buyer group ( potentially with more discretionary spend) will consider your vehicle, and the buyer uptake increases. As does the likelihood of eagerly adopted electric vehicle technology making its way into models further down the food chain.
The Audi range is about to go through a large transition. With the A3 and Q7 e- trons, we’re seeing the manufacturer’s move to adopt alternative drivetrain technology for each of its existing models. Other sedans, wagons and crossovers will all receive similar electric options in the near future; the e- tron badge becoming a familiar component of the established range over the next 12 months.
The exciting stuff though, will arrive in the form of the all- new BEV models Audi has waiting in the wings. The Audi BEV SUV will offer an impressive 320kW peak power with a boost mode that takes power up to 370kW, with 800Nm of torque on tap. Range anxiety? No such thing with 500km of power at the ready from a full charge ( depending on driving style). The BEV SUV will be followed a year later by the BEV Sportback, shown off in concept form last month at the Shanghai Motor Show.
And if you think these additions are the stuff of sci- fi; think again. The Audi BEV SUV and Sportback models are due here in 2018 and 2019 respectively. They might look like the work of a designer’s fever dream ( Google them), but they are real and ready for production.
Audi has been tagged as the EV leader for the Volkswagen Group and by 2025 anticipates a third of its global volume will be BEV models. Things have begun tentatively here in New Zealand, but that is all about to change.
As for midway points, the Q7 e- tron quattro offers up an impressive solution and more than a hint of what the German carmaker’s electric future holds.