Revealed : Audi e-tron Electric SUV

German luxury automaker Audi has revealed the e-tron electric SUV at an event in San Francisco. Audi’s first all-electric series production model e-tron is the third electric premium SUV to be revealed this year and is likely to make its way to the Indian market by the end of 2019. The e-tron SUV by Audi is a 4.9-metre SUV that’s designed to be positioned between the Q5 and Q7.

The newly revealed Audi e-tron comes powered by a pair of electric motors. According to Audi's official information – “the E-Tron "debuts a DC fast charging capability of up to 150 kW available at select high-speed public charging stations," and that "this capability can deliver up to an 80-percent charge in only approximately 30 minutes." The E-Tron's 9.6-kW AC Level 2 charger, meanwhile, will be able to "deliver a fresh charge overnight." The automaker also confirms that the SUV will be able to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and will be able to achieve a top speed of 124 mph. Also, the 95 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is about 50 percent more than the Chevrolet Bolt EV and nearly matches the 100 kWh Tesla Model X crossover. Audi says that on the new and more realistic WLTP test cycle, the car offers a range of more than 400 km. the company also claims that it has the most efficient regenerative braking system around which means up to 30 percent of total range recuperated from braking energy. In order to recover the waste heat from the battery pack to control cabin climate helping to reduce electric drain and maintain range, a heat pump has also been provided.

Priced from USD 76,400 in the American market, though the production car is marginally larger but the e-tron's styling is almost unchanged over the 2015 e-tron Quattro concept. The electric SUV comes standard with air suspension, 20-inch wheels, LED lighting, seats with built-in heating and cooling, panoramic sunroof and inductive wireless smartphone charging among others. However, Audi’s driver assistance package, massage seats, a heads-up display, and power door closers, among other hi-tech features will also be on offer with an additional amount. The bigger 21-inch wheels, a special gray paint scheme, bright orange brake calipers, black leather interior, and a night vision camera in the dash will feature on the top-spec variant of the SUV.

Talking about the designing of the e-tron, Audi’s exterior designer Stephan Fahr-Becker said, “We didn’t want to lose the single frame; it contributed to making us the premium brand that we are today. We selected a lighter color. If a car is approaching from 50 or 100 metres, the single frame is recognizable as an Audi but different from, say, a Q8. We were bold enough to put the name on the front of the car; we want to say the e-tron is the first of its kind. The task was to create aerodynamic wheels which still look sporty. We took the color from high-voltage cables. We wanted to create a special colour to accentuate that it’s electric.”

Other than these, the other highlights of the e-tron SUV includes a strong driver oriented cabin with the central Audi virtual cockpit featuring a slim, visually free-standing display as well as the two MMI touch response displays angled towards the pilot. The upper screen blends almost invisibly into the large black-panel surface when switched off, while the lower display sits on the broad center console. On the other hand, the central tunnel rests on open side panels and incorporates a storage compartment, cup holders as well as the standard Audi phone box for inductive smartphone charging.

However, for charging assistance Audi is partnering with Amazon to help ease the process of installing a home charger for the E-tron. The customers buying the all-electric SUV will be offered the option of having Amazon’s Home Services division handle the installation process. Though, no pricing was announced for the same by the automaker. Audi is also offering a smart braking system that intelligently blends, on the fly, mechanical braking with regenerative braking where the electric motors spin backwards, feeding energy back into the battery and the company says will help in optimizing energy use during daily driving situations.

The Audi e-tron electric SUV will rival against the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes EQC. In India, the SUV will be imported through CBU from Audi’s CO2-neutral plant in Brussels. Though, Audi is still awaited to make the confirmation on the same. Stay tuned to V3cars.com for further updates on the 2019 Audi e-tron electric SUV in India.