Audi Australia has provided details of the company’s first-ever all-electric vehicles, the Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback. They will be available with two battery variants incorporating significant new technology.
Both have electric motors on the front and rear axles and use a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery to store the electrical energy.
Audi e-tron 55 quattro produce 300kW of power and 664Nm of torque. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 5.7 seconds, with a governed top speed of 200 km/h. The e-tron 50 quattro variants, with 230kW/540Nm, still offer strong performance, reaching 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds.
Intelligent energy recuperation is key to the long-range capability of the Audi e-tron. Recovery of up to 220kW/300Nm while braking contributes up to 30% of its range, while clever thermal management of the battery contributes up to 15 per cent.
While many electric vehicles are not suitable for towing, all e-tron models can tow up to 1.8 tonnes thanks to the torque delivery of the electric motors.
The Audi e-tron 55 and e-tron Sportback 55 quattro variants store up to 95KWh of energy (divided up into 36 battery modules), for a WLTP range of over 400km. Audi e-tron 50 quattro variants store up to 71 kWh of energy (27 modules) for a WLTP range in excess of 300km.
Most impressive is the 150kW DC fast-charging (120kW for e-tron 50) option restoring 80 per cent of charge in just 30 minutes, or a full charge in only 45 minutes.
The 11kW AC home-charging unit can charge the e-tron 55 variants from empty to full in 8.5 hours, and the e-tron 50 in 6 hours. For charging at home, the Audi e-tron offers a comprehensive ‘home check’ consultation and installation process in partnership with JETCharge.
Audi Australia is offering all e-tron vehicles with a comprehensive customer offer that includes a six-year subscription to the ChargeFox ultra-rapid charging network.
Audi was a founding partner of the ChargeFox network, which comprises 1100 plugs nationally, all supplied with 100 per cent green power. Further information can be found at https://www.chargefox.com/network/
Additionally, Audi Australia is also offering all e-tron vehicles with servicing and roadside assistance for the first 6 years of ownership. Owners can take further peace-of-mind from an 8-year/160,000km drivetrain warranty. Any Audi dealer in the national network of 42 can service an e-tron vehicle.
Audi’s Navigation plus with MMI touch response incorporates. Route planning can begin either via the MMI interface, or via the myAudi smartphone app, which then sends it to the vehicles MMI system.
On long journeys, the MMI system calculates if charging is required (taking into account live traffic updates), and where along the journey that charging should take place. It draws on live information about charger speeds and space availability at the charging sites.
With the journey planned, the system then informs the driver of the estimated arrival time, inclusive of any required charging time.
The Audi e-tron is the first passenger vehicle in Australia to offer the option of virtual exterior mirrors. These integrate a small camera to digitally project information through a high-resolution 7-inch OLED display at the base of the A-pillars.
On a practical note the e-tron and e-tron Sportback can take 660 litres and 615 litres of luggage respectively.
The Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback are planned to arrive in Australia in September, though the Covid-19 pandemic may interfere with this.
Early vehicles will be available to order through the new Audi online purchase platform, at audi.com.au, from June 19th.
As part of the launch offer for the e-tron 55 quattro vehicles, a special First Edition is being offered in both body styles. Some highlights of the additional equipment these vehicles offer include the innovative virtual exterior mirrors, unique 21-inch alloy wheels, e-tron orange brake calipers, Matrix LED headlights, black exterior styling elements.
Other items include the head-up display, 705W Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, S sport front seats and
To further reduce air pollution all Audi e-tron vehicles are produced at a new carbon-neutral Audi production facility in Brussels, Belgium.
MODEL RANGE
e-tron 50 quattro 230 kW: $137,700
e-tron 55 quattro 230kW: $146,700
e-tron Sportback 50 quattro 230 kW: $148,700
e-tron Sportback 55 quattro 265 kW: $157,700
e-tron 55 quattro First Edition 265kW: $159,600
e-tron Sportback 55 quattro First Edition 265 kW: $169,950
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Audi dealer for drive-away prices.
