The Audi E-Tron Laughs In The Face Of Range Anxiety

Audi's latest e-tron prototype is headed for production in mere months, and it's bringing with it a 300-mile-per-charge driving range
The Audi E-Tron Laughs In The Face Of Range Anxiety

Audi has revealed its latest, and most mainstream electric concept yet: this is where it gets very real.

The e-tron crossover has appeared in action around Geneva before stepping up to the Audi stand at the city’s annual motor show. One of the lightly-camouflaged test mules was reportedly giving rides to journalists around the city, and the liveried-up concept obviously won’t have hurt the company’s brand-building exercises.

We still don’t have full details, but we can give you some insight into the high-riding, low-roof five-door. Space and comfort are claimed to be on a par with one of Audi’s ‘luxury class models,’ although we’re left guessing as to whether that means the A4 or the A6.

This model, with few or no changes, will enter production at the end of this year. Almost 250 prototypes will in the meantime complete a testing programme covering a target of over three million miles of real-world driving – equivalent to 125 linear trips around the world.

The e-tron is compatible with rapid chargers up to 150kW, so should be able to refill to 80 per cent charge in less than half an hour. When topped-up to 100 per cent, a real-world driving range of 300 miles is the claim. That’s about the same as a lot of petrol cars.

Audi is working on other electric cars, with the aim of having two more in production by 2020. The flagship sports car is still a possibility in the long term, but the next confirmed models are a five-door executive Sportback and a ‘compact’ car, which we’d assume to be an electric A3.

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Comments

Tomislav Celić

So, same size as the I-pace and same range. So we can finally have a review of two electric cars that are actually comparable.

03/06/2018 - 15:04 |
57 | 1

Yes! And FINALLY you can saw “I drive a nice EV” without being either from Western America OR a tech nerd. Lose the stupid vanity plates, Tesla owners. Like we don’t know it’s electric…

03/06/2018 - 16:42 |
12 | 0

Leaf and Zoe are reasonably compareable though

03/06/2018 - 16:47 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Nice I-Pace rival!

03/06/2018 - 15:04 |
0 | 0
Jakob

300 miles range on an electric car is a lot. That means you could drive from Berlin to Paris and then to London and you’d only have to stop twice to fill (or charge) up on the way. It was about time that the European manufacturers are following Tesla while they still can.

03/06/2018 - 15:17 |
11 | 2
Rahul 1

In reply to by Jakob

About that last sentence, I just wanted to say though it was Tesla that started EVs in general and has a undefeatable range charging networks, The foreign car market still has a brighter future ahead. I love when EV fanboys say that the majority of all the car makes out there will die out and not have a future with the range of charging networks, but fail to realize that a horde of EV charging networks backed up by Porsche, Renault, GM, etc. will soon come and take care of every EV out there…Proving that every car out there can survive with the current trends…

03/06/2018 - 15:51 |
4 | 0
Klush

Why an SUV though?

03/06/2018 - 15:28 |
0 | 0
OctyVRS

In reply to by Klush

Because SUV sales well. More place to hide batteries. people don’t expect them to be light or nimble.

03/06/2018 - 16:26 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

that cool😍

03/06/2018 - 15:37 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

The new 2 litre prius also laughs at range anxiety???

03/06/2018 - 16:09 |
4 | 0
P5 Ford

Finnish weather conditions of extreme cold, batteries have what.. 50% efficiency? But that’s still 150 miles range.

03/06/2018 - 18:51 |
4 | 1
Tomislav Celić

In reply to by P5 Ford

You can’t calculate it like that. At normal weather the EE has 95% efficiency (ICE has between 35% and 45%). You also have to calculate the battery efficiency. You will end up at more than 150 miles

03/07/2018 - 06:43 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Or just buy a diesel?

03/07/2018 - 00:12 |
4 | 0
Tomislav Celić

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Not as clean/cheap to run as an EV

03/07/2018 - 08:03 |
0 | 0
Michaël Mateus

I saw it yesterday, in the streets of Geneva !!! Just Wonderful !!!

03/07/2018 - 08:38 |
0 | 0
William Challenger

on paper its 300 mils, in real life its 300 meters.
it is always like this.

03/07/2018 - 13:35 |
0 | 0