It took a while, but we were finally able to test the new Audi e-tron , the first serial tram to come out of Ingolstadt — yes, we haven't forgotten about “lab” experiences like the nearly forgotten R8 e-tron. It won't be the only one, but they are on the way, with Audi aiming, as early as 2021, that a third of its sales are electrified vehicles (electric and hybrid).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the e-tron takes on the SUV form factor, the one that seems to reap the preferences of the global market, and this SUV isn't small.
It's a vehicle almost as big as an Audi Q7, and like this one, the e-tron is based on a variant of the well-known MLB platform, adapted to integrate a generous battery pack. 95 kWh on the platform floor and two electric motors (one per axle).
The use of MLB justifies the familiarity of its proportions, which are no different from other Audi SUVs with an internal combustion engine — also its rival Mercedes-Benz EQC used the same approach, instead of Jaguar's leading solution for the I- Pace, who designed a dedicated platform.
Powerful, fast… and no anxiety
The two electric motors of the e-tron generate a maximum of 408 hp , albeit for just eight seconds — 360 hp is the “normal” power — and only with the “gearbox” in S, or in Dynamic mode (one of seven to choose from). I put quotes on the gearbox, because effectively the Audi e-tron doesn't have one; it has only one fixed relationship.
Using the total of 408 hp and 664 Nm spread over four wheels, the e-tron is capable of performing the classic 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.6s; surprising considering that it's always 2.5 t by car.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Of course, exploiting the performance potential of the electric SUV, we will hardly be able to reach the little more than 400 km of autonomy maxim it announces — Guilherme, in the test, in varied driving conditions, saw no more than 340-350 km. Still, enough for a week of home-work-home commuting for many of us — there's no need to be anxious...
What happened to the mirrors?
Apart from the fact that it is an electric one, the other big highlight is the mirrors, or rather the lack of them. In its place there are two cameras that transmit the captured images to two screens — an optional 1800 euros —, one in each door. As Guilherme mentions, it takes some getting used to until it becomes intuitive to look a little further down, where the rear-view screen is.
Otherwise, perhaps unsurprisingly, the e-tron is a… Audi. What this means is that we are in the presence of a very solid vehicle, reigning inside a diversity of excellent quality materials, accompanied by an equally excellent build quality. The fact that it is electric forced it to elevate the already high refinement even further, with the silence on board being one of its best qualities.
Typically Audi, the best compliment we could do to the interior of the e-tron.
The Audi e-tron is already on sale in Portugal, with the price starting at 84 500 euros.
It's time to hand the floor over to Guilherme, where you can discover all the details and features of Audi's first series-production electric, the first of many: