Audi is all set to bring in the e-tron – their first all-electric vehicle – to India towards the end of the year. We got a chance to take a closer look recently. Here are 5 things you should know about the car
There have been endless rumours of Tesla making its way to India in the recent past. While there is no official confirmation about the American EV maker’s entry into India, Audi has officially announced the launch of its first all-electric vehicle – e-tron in India towards the end of 2019. We have driven the car in Abu Dhabi a few months back, and recently got a closer look here in India too. Here are 5 things you should know about the car
1.) The powerplant: The Audi e-tron gets its power from a 95kW battery which is installed at the base of the car. This battery pushes power to two three-phase asynchronous electric motors. The one powering the front axle makes 168bhp while the one at the rear develops 188bhp. The Audi also gets an ‘over-boost’ that gives it 46bhp of additional power for 8 seconds. Maximum torque stands at 664Nm. In the boost mode, the e-tron can push to 100km/h in just 5.7 seconds. Without the boost, the car takes 6.7 seconds to achieve the feat.
2.) Range and Charging: Audi claims that the 95kW battery can be charged up to 80% of its capacity from 0 in just 30 minutes using a 150kW fast charger. The car can also be charged using a domestic 240V outlet, but it will take 10.5 hours to complete the cycle. Based on the Worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure (WLTP) the e-tron has a range of 400km. The car uses various means to ensure battery efficiency. Audi claims that as much as 30% of its range can be increased using regenerative braking. Thee-tron also helps optimize energy consumption with the help of a Range Mode and Efficiency Assist tech.
3.) The screens: The e-tron has as many as 5 screens in the cabin – one each for the infotainment, climate control and the Virtual Cockpit. The car has two additional screens – one on either side – on the door pads to display the feed from the outside rearview cameras. Yes, this car has cameras in place of traditional ORVMs.
4.) Aerodynamics: Part of having a good range and optimum utilization of energy is also aerodynamics. Audi has clearly worked a lot towards this end. The e-tron has a drag coefficient of 0.28 – which by the way, is better than the Jaguar I-Pace. Interestingly, the sleeker cameras used to perform the ORVM duties have a huge role to play here. Audi has sealed the underside of the car with an aluminium panel that is dumplings like a golf ball. This has been done to ensure that the bolts that would otherwise hold the panel would disrupt airflow. More than 1000 man-hours of work have gone into developing such solutions.
5.) Launch and Price: Audi is expected to bring the e-torn to India towards the end of 2019 or early 2020. The government allows import of 2,500 units without having them go through homologation. Keeping that in mind, the e-tron will certainly come in as a CBU. Although in terms of size it sits between the Q5 and the Q7, it is sure to be priced higher than the latter. Given all the technology it comes packed with, expect a price north of Rs 1.2 crore.
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