Audi has finally taken the covers off its first electric mass production car. Audi, at last, took the wraps of its all-electric 2019 E-Tron model three years after promising a game-changing all-electric SUV with more than 200 miles of range.
The new innovation is engineered to win drivers over to the all-electric camp by meeting them precisely where they are in the wildly popular SUV segment without giving short shrift to luxury or utility. The new vehicle is set to compete against the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC in the premium EV market.
Audi E-Tron is equipped with a 95-kWh battery in comparison to its rivals the EQC’s 80 and the Jaguar I-Pace’s 90. It’ll reach 60 mph in less than six seconds, whereas the Merc and Jag both do it in fewer than five. It leaps 248 miles of range on the New European Driving Cycle, though American drivers will likely see a lower number after the EPA runs its less-generous test.
Audi says that the E-Tron’s 95kWh battery pack is capable of powering the SUV for around 250 miles on a single charge. The figure has been calculated using the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which came into effect on 1 September as a more accurate method of measuring battery range and exhaust emissions.
The company claims the Audi E-Tron 402bhp and 490lb-ft of torque helps launch the SUV from 0-62mph in under six seconds before “silently” hitting a limited top speed of 124mph. It claims to be available across Europe in the next few years. It is to make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show, which runs from 4 to 14 October.
