Audi parent company Volkswagen is trying to establish itself as an EV powerhouse in the North American market. That includes ensuring that Audi is positioned as a strong contender in the luxury EV segment. And Audi is definitely making the right moves with its robust EV offering, especially when compared to rivals like Lexus, which aren’t currently selling a full electric vehicle.
So let’s detail Audi’s diverse range of EVs, ranging from extreme sports sedan EVs to coupe-like EVs. If you’re in the market for an Audi EV, you can’t go wrong with our overview of Audi’s electric vehicle range.
Table of Contents
e-tron GT
The e-tron GT is Audi’s ultimate manifestation of what an electric vehicle should be. And while many manufacturers offer full electric vehicles, Audi is among the most forward-thinking brands in the automotive world, so you know their offerings will set the tone for years to come. The e-tron GT is available in two different flavors: the regular e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT.
Both cars are absolute beasts, but coincidentally the RS e-tron GT is even crazier than the regular e-tron GT. The RS version of the e-tron GT produces 637 hp (in boost mode) from its twin motors and achieves a range of 232 miles with its 93 kWh battery.
The RS e-tron GT accelerates to 100 km/h in a breathtaking 3.1 seconds. Of course, the normal e-tron GT is not boring either and manages the 0-100 km/h run in 3.9 seconds. For most people, the regular e-tron GT is the sensible choice, especially considering it’s about $40,000 cheaper than the RS model for similar performance.
The e-tron GT models come with three years of free charging on Electrify America’s charging network, which might not be a huge incentive for the demographic to buy these vehicles, but they’re nice to have nonetheless. A curious fact is that Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, owns the Electrify America network, and VW also happens to make cool electric vehicles.
The e-tron GT models also feature insanely fast charging that can charge the car battery from 5% to 80% in around 22.5 minutes. The most striking aspect of the e-tron GT is its styling, which is more aggressive than that of its Porsche Taycan counterpart. The e-tron GT is arguably one of the most beautiful cars on the road today.
e tron
Audi’s e-tron is one of the more stylish SUVs on the market and is available in two different body styles. The regular e-tron is a flat, wide SUV that looks way more expensive than its price tag suggests. The e-tron is also available as a “Sportback”, i.e. as a kind of obligatory coupe version of the SUV, and as a sportier S model.
The standard e-tron starts at $65,900 and has two motors and a range of 222 miles from its 95kWh battery. The dual motors of the e-tron deliver up to 402 hp when the special boost mode is active. The e-tron S, on the other hand, is more expensive at its starting price of $84,800, but it’s also a lot more powerful, with its 496 hp and absurd 717 lb-ft (yes, you read that right).
A special feature of the e-tron S are its three electric motors, one of which drives the front wheels and the other two the rear wheels. The e-tron S is also available as a Sportback model, which is now standard for luxury SUVs.
Q4 e tron
The Q4 e-tron is a more affordable alternative to the e-tron and e-tron S models. Just like its more expensive e-tron cousin, the Q4 e-tron is available in standard body configurations as well as a Sportback model. The Q4 e-tron starts at $49,900, and range for the Q4 e-tron in standard body configuration is approximately 241 miles from its 82-kWh battery.
The non-coupe body style is also practical from a storage capacity perspective, offering 53.1 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded. In terms of design, the Q4 e-tron isn’t as sleek and mean as the e-tron, but it’s still a decent-looking vehicle. The headlights look extremely futuristic and add to the car’s EV vibe, but the grille isn’t as well executed, especially compared to the e-tron.
In terms of performance, the Q4 e-tron doesn’t take a break. The vehicle is equipped with Audi’s famous Quattro AWD and delivers 295 hp with its twin engines. The Q4 e-tron is also equipped with fast charging and can be charged from 5% to 80% in around 38 minutes with a DC fast charger.
The Q4 e-tron will also be offered with 250kWh of free charging, obviously using VW’s Electrify America infrastructure. This is a very important model for Audi, especially considering how important crossover SUVs are in terms of manufacturers’ sales volume in this segment. The e-tron and e-tron GT are highly desirable vehicles, but this model will be Audi’s bread and butter.
Future Audi EV models
The future is electric, and that also applies to sports cars. Corresponding CNETAudi wants to replace its R8 halo sports car with an all-electric model. Linda Kurz, Audi’s head of product marketing for the Audi Sport division, stated that they “want to transform the R segment, and the R segment will be all-electric.
…the R segment becomes fully electric. That is our task for the next decade
The current R8 is a beast, but it’s powered by a massive V10 engine (which sounds glorious) that will most likely be phased out after the R8’s run in its current iteration is over.
All-electric Audi
Audi is clearly going all out with its EV endeavors, and they already have a robust lineup that bodes well for their future endeavors. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what Audi has in store for its electric future, particularly in relation to its performance R and RS sub-brands.
This article was previously published on Source link
