The e-Tron stands between the Q7 and Q5 in Audi’s line of cars. Audi’s roofline is still relatively low, even with its skateboard-battery configuration.
What is the Audi e-Tron EV?
E-Tron is a brand of Audi’s that specializes in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The name has been around for a while, first noted on a sleek, R8-Esque concept car seemingly driven by four electric motors that Audi claimed can make a combined 309 hp and 3,319 lb-ft of torque. They continued to make use of this moniker in several series of concept cars, and when it got to showrooms in 2013, it was as a plug-in hybrid version of the A3 hatchback and not as an EV. It could travel as much as 31 miles on a single charge. All-electric R8 E-Tron have had their fair share run-in, but it was the first Audi of E-Trons that made its mark among the brand.
Audi A6 e-Tron concept
The Audi e-Tron is a midsize crossover and Audi’s first proper electric car. As with all EVs, there’s no internal combustion engine, no gas tank, no transmission, no tailpipe, and also no idling, no fumes, no oil changes, no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. With no combustion, there will be no atmosphere-thickening greenhouse gases. Just a car that has electricity running everything from the wheels to the heater. The design comes in a high-riding hatchback body, enough to sway a buyer. It is roughly 193 inches long in Audi’s SUV size spectrum with no third row. It has two leather-wrapped with enough room to sit. Audi made sure that the 1,540-pound battery doesn’t cut much into the interior by maximizing the space usage.
Audi e-Tron: The design
Audi has always maintained its familiar and unique design, but with the e-Tron, it has incorporated a few elements that correspond with its all-electric powertrain. Additional stripped lights have been added to the front and backlights, almost like the new A8’s rear lights, and maintaining its production model in a way. This design is basically what separates the e-Tron from Audi’s predominant similar-looking range. This is like a peep into the future for Ingolstadt’s design team, with the e-Tron lineup set to be congested by 2025.
Efficiency is what sets electric vehicles apart from the rest, and the e-Tron is no slouch. Audi directed air curtains towards the front of the car to minimize draggy turbulence around the purportedly big front wheels. In a seminar in anticipation of the car’s release, the e-Tron’s exterior designer said, ‘we know in a design you do nothing wrong having big wheels.’ Also, the aesthetic design was well taken care of, neglecting extra storage. And as with most shooting brakes, fast wagons, and SUVs, it has a heavily raked-back windscreen.
Contact numberplateclinic for your unique number plate. We have an extensive collection of plate styles, design, and sizes.
Is Audi e-Tron a good car?
The interior of the e-Tron oozes the contemporary Audi but features a few critical adjustments that result from being an electric vehicle. Its features such as sumptuous, quiet, and roomy interior, a user-friendly infotainment system, brisk acceleration, posh cabin materials, and refined handling make the 2021 Audi e-Tron a class above the others. Its intuitive tech features and swift acceleration properties give a joyful driving experience.
As present in the A8, the e-Tron has a black-panel layout that includes many touchscreen features. It also has the haptic feedback feature arranged in two layers, with another panel at the bottom of the center console. A lack of transmission tunnel helps the e-Tron accommodate a lot of air, which is more than its ICE-powered equivalent. Instead, it’s replaced with a large cubby hole with a nifty gear-selector that’s a level up. Virtual Cockpit is also present, but Audi’s new door-mirror-based cameras magnify the interior’s uniqueness.
What an invention. Unlike your conventional mirrors, it is fitted to the outside of the car to feed images to the two digital screens on the inside of the door. This is a first amongst automakers. These cameras help reduce drag, and as affirmed by Audi, it reduces the width of the car by 15cm. The only downside to the e-Tron is the relatively limited driving range. This disadvantage makes it unreliable and unworthy of a good rating in the luxury hybrid and electric SUV class.
What’s unique about Audi e-Tron?
The design is remarkable, the interior is special, and it’s an electric car but another special feature is its powertrain. The E-tron’s powertrain has a pair of electric motors for the front and rear axle. This enables all-wheel-drive capabilities, something that has become synonymous with Audi. This uses the available 83.5 kWh out of the 95KWh present in the battery, which is under the passengers’ seat. This is to aid the long-term battery preservation of the battery. Although, in Sport mode, the total output rises up to 402 horsepower.
It takes only 5.3 seconds for the car to go from 0 to 60 mph, and eight seconds is enough time to get you up to extra-legal speed. This, albeit revving up for full power as with electric cars; it’s an instant action as soon as you step on the pedal. That means the 5,754-pound E-Tron can run faster than many cars, especially those below a V8 Mustang.
Unless you take a good look at the Audi e-Tron, you might struggle to differentiate it from the other EVs. It’s a futuristic powertrain designed with caution before its release into the mainstream electrification market. That little deception is what distinguishes it from cars like the Jaguar I-Pace. No special touch on the steering, but the smooth driving experience covers this lapse. The drive is as smooth as the other Audi cars. They tried to minimize the influence of the electric aspect as much as possible as that might be a negative for buyers. Making the design interesting takes the mind of potential buyers of the electric aspects, which might be a cause for concern with electricity-conscious people. But unlike Tesla, Nissan and Jaguar, the E-Tron lacks the one-pedal driving feature. The one-pedal driving feature enables power-regenerative capabilities, which help to reduce pressure on the throttle and allows the car to slow down even without stepping on the brake. The regular features can work seamlessly with other Audi products. The only instance that the difference might be apparent is when it makes the odd science-fiction warble to create awareness.
What car does Audi e-Tron compete against?
Its closest rival is the Jaguar, as mentioned earlier. They have a lot in common, ranging from almost the same size and start around the same price, being their makers’ first real gamble into true EVs to the same goals, which is to challenge any non-Tesla EV. Another direct rival to the Audi e-Tron is the Tesla Model X. It has a comparable price range, albeit a bit larger and farther range on a full charge.
What are the cons of the Audi e-Tron?
It doesn’t have much notable downsides but in a way, the Audi e-Tron lacks current. Presently there are not enough easily accessible fast chargers for Audis like those of Tesla. Tesla has a readily available network of Superchargers. Audi claims the E-Tron can boost electricity at up to 150 kW with ten minutes of charge, which can add 54 miles of range; this is in theory, though. In practice, it is more complicated than it sounds. It takes almost two hours for a Level 3 charger at an Audi dealership north of NYC with 111 miles of range remaining to reach maximum charge. Although this is considerably faster than a Level 2 charger, which can use up to nine hours. It is still tedious and time-consuming. That amount of time should be used on something productive, not to wait for a car battery to charge fully.
Another significant problem with e-Trons is battery removal. It is not easy to remove e-Tron batteries because they easily jam. This might result in a constant visit to Audi tech shops where they will have to yank the emergency release to pop it open. This inadvertently means you need to have special skills to remove a battery. You have to know how to use the emergency before purchase. The solution to this is simply going to be farther between plugs. This could allow easy removal of batteries and avoid damages due to inexperience.
When the climate control is on, the range drops from 204 miles to 196, which can easily influence a potential buyer's judgment. The only downside to this is that you will need to charge often, which could be at a three-hour interval or less and unless there's a charger along your route, you won't find the experience enjoyable, especially when going on a long-distance. In America, the web of plugs has only two thousand fast chargers available than over 168,000 gas stations across the land. Volkswagen & Electrify America network of EV chargers promises to help out with Superchargers once fully operational. This will alleviate the pain of having to charge within short periods. This will increase competition and efficiency. Contact numberplateclinic for your unique number plate. We have an extensive collection of plate styles, design, and sizes.