IN DETAIL

AERODYNAMICS

Traditional wing mirrors replaced with Audi Virtual Exterior mirrors, ensuring every kw is maximised. Flat underbody and computercontrolled air intakes in the grille provide a drag coefficient of 0.27.

POWER TRAIN

Effectively electric quattro with ‘two-axle drive’ (125 kw up front, 140 kw at the rear) boasts 300 kw/ 664 Nm of total output in Boost mode. The 0–100 km/h sprint time is 5.7 sec. It has a claimed 400 km range, although we peg it closer to 325 km from our first drive.

BATTERY

At the e-tron’s core is a ‘double bed’ of lithium-ion batteries, 432 cells in 36 modules producing 95 kwh of zip. Protected by reinforced ‘box within a box’ aluminium housing, hi-tech thermal gel dissipates heat and also acts as an acid absorber in the event of an accident.

CHARGING

Should Audi SA follow the lead from overseas, a sophisticated home-charging system has two strengths. Compact: up to 11 kwh, which will recharge the battery in eight hours. Connect: up to 22 kwh can be controlled via the myaudi app and recharged in roughly half the time – four hours.

Lastly, 150 kwh public fast chargers will give you 80 per cent battery recharge in 30 min.

THE FUTURE

Making use of Audi’s zeroemissions plant in Brussels, the e-tron will be followed by an e-tron Sportback this year, e-tron GT (essentially the Porsche Taycan) and a compact e-tron using VW MEB architecture in 2020. An intensive EV program will see the introduction of ten EVS by 2025.