Quattro e-tron’s stylistic and technical flourishes owe a debt to Tesla
According to Audi, that power spirits the five-seat SUV from a standstill to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, 5.7 seconds in full boost mode.
That’s not really a mode in the sense you need to paddle shift or press a button; rather, you simply mash the accelerator (not the ‘gas’ pedal, of course) with the drive mode in the ‘sport’ setting.
Audi has also set the charging bar high in its first all-electric production vehicle, allowing for a best-in-class 150 kW charge. Charge times range from 10 hours using the ‘Basic’ system (120v and 240v) 4.5 hours with the ‘Connect’ system (fast charger), and an impressive 30-minute charge up to 80 per cent of the battery life on a DC Charger (I say impressive as remember this is a very big battery pack).
Audi has joined forces with public charging station provider Electrify America to expand its 150 kW and 350 kW network, and is offering U.S. e-tron owners free charging for a year after purchase.
An Audi Canada representative said nothing is finalized for customers here yet, but said he wouldn’t be surprised if a similar deal was offered.
Readers of Postmedia’s driving.ca site are well aware of the half-decade e-tron program — a search of the website prior to last week’s event found ‘e-tron’ references in no less than 108 stories — however seeing the vehicle in the flesh, especially flesh not speckled with so-called ‘camouflage’ paint, makes real all that hype-filled run-up.
It’s a good looking SUV, speaking the contemporary Audi design language, granted with a few stylistic flourishes inside and out, yet like the aforementioned i-Pace, it makes great efforts to stray not far from Audi DNA, particularly in the cabin.
Last week’s reveal is just the start of Audi’s headlong charge into electrification. At the L.A. Auto Show in November the automaker will unveil the all-electric GT Concept, the production version of which is planned to hit showrooms in 2020. There’s also a two-door sportback in the works along with a compact, each slate for sale by 2020. Move ahead half a decade, and Audi says it will have 10 full EVs in its model lineup.
In addition, Audi is working with partners inside its parent company Volkswagen on electrification — notably Porsche with its Premium Platform Electric (PPE) program — and outside the company, including a recently inked deal with Hyundai into hydrogen fuel cell research and development.
Audi Canada has not released e-tron pricing yet, however the audi.ca website does have a reservation system with a refundable $1,000 deposit. Delivery of the first units is expected in early 2019. U.S. pricing was announced at US$74,800.
A final word on Tesla’s founder in the context of the 2019 Audi e-tron Quattro. While it’s difficult to predict the future in these disruptive times, especially in the technology space, seeing the production e-tron up close it’s not hard to imagine Elon Musk’s contribution to the EV revolution will go down in history as that of a pioneer, a guy who laid down on the barb wire fence so that others could vault over him to the promised land.