With 100 years of experience in the manufacturing of premium cars, auto maker Audi presented in September 2018, the Audi e-Tron, its first all-electric SUV.
The Audi e-Tron is Audi’s all-electric vehicle and the first for the entire Volkswagen group. Differently, from all the electric cars produced to date, the eTron was specifically designed from inception as an all-electric car and not as an electric drive within an existing body.
Electric mobility is not an innovation, but a recapture dating back to the very beginnings of the automobile industry. In the early 1900s, 38 percent of all cars in the US had an electric drive. Automakers have been experimenting with electric engines and batteries for almost 130 years. The only reason that prevented the market implementation of the electric vehicle was the cheap price of gasoline. Back then, Audi’s predecessor DKW manufactured cars that never made it into assembly-line production.
Audi’s manufacturing plant in Brussels, Belgium, once a cradle to the Audi A1, has been adapted to produce the new eTron SUV. The factory adaptation to the new eTron series took a while. “7,500 metric tons of steel had to be installed. This is the same amount of steel installed in the Eiffel Tower,” said factory head, Patrick Danau. This assembly plant will also include the world’s first battery line installation.
In an effort to keep all the know-how in house, Audi ramped up its engine production facility in Gyor, Hungary, and is developing its own batteries in Ingolstadt, Germany. All batteries are subject to stress tests for safety and optimal performance.
Finally, before the new vehicle hits the road several crash tests need to be done. The test challenge turned out to be preventing the people driving, sitting or manipulating the car, from an electric shock. Crashing an electric car with a 95 Kilowatt hour (Kwh) battery presents certain risks and the objective is to eliminate all of them.
An electric vehicle is not comparable to a combustion engine. When an electric car is cruising the engine-indicator does not move, no recuperation (energy recovery) occurs, and the energy consumption is zero. Basically, the car is just gliding. This is extremely important as it determines the vehicle range. This characteristic is what makes electric cars so unique.
Only when one depresses the brakes does the car recover energy. The e-Tron has 4 electric motors placed at each of its wheels. The electric motors feedback the battery or recuperate 92-95 percent of the time that the brakes operate. In addition, the natural wear and tear of the breaks gets reduced significantly.
Competitors
The fight for the first electric customers in the premium segment is extremely tough. The competition never sleeps, and Tesla, the pioneer in the field, is watching very closely how many established manufacturers are quickly entering the electric vehicle market. Jaguar is launching its first electric I-Pace, and Mercedes Benz presented its EQC to the public last fall.
All of them share similar technical characteristics, SUV bodies, large batteries up to 100Kwh, one electric motor at the front and another at the back, and a range of 250 miles as standard. Later this year, Porsche will join in the fray with the first electric Taycan with even more impressive performance specs.
With all of these serious competitors, Audi is introducing what will be a deciding factor, the ability to charge up to 150 Kw, making the e-Tron ready to drive quicker than any other electric vehicle currently in the market. Another competitive advantage of the Audi e-Tron that sets it apart is that it is the only SUV that is trailer-certified and a real Quattro (4-wheel traction).
Audi understands that manufacturing an electric car is not enough, and is working together with other car manufacturers to set up the network of charging stations around Europe.
From a design perspective, Audi has followed the feedback from customers in the US, Germany, and Asia. One of the most innovative exterior design concepts is the side mirrors. Designed to be an elongation of the interior dash, they have a futuristic look and are much smaller than any others designed before. It is definitely a very distinctive element of the e-Tron.
“It is an extremely important car. It marks the dawn of a new whole era. The e-Tron will be followed by a whole range of electric vehicles,” said Peter Menters, former member of the Board of Management of Audi AG Technical Development.
With performance including from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, a range of over 248.5 miles and zero emissions, the full-size SUV is powerful, efficient, sporty and practical for everyday driving. Its two electric motors produce up to 300 kW that combine with the electric all-wheel drive and deliver optimum performance on any terrain.
A comprehensive range of charging options for at home and on-the-go makes electric driving convenient and effortless. Combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi): 26.2 – 22.6 (WLTP); 24.6 – 23.7 (NEFZ), CO2 emissions combined in g/km (g/mi):
The price for the Audi e-Tron starts at $74,800. Please visit our website kudosnb.com for a video demonstration of how the energy recovery works.