Audi e-tron Electric Luxury SUV Unveiled With Pricing Starting At $74K

Audi has been teasing the world with little tidbits and glimpse of its e-tron electric SUV for a while now. The teasing is finally over with Audi making the e-tron official and giving up all the details on the green ride along with pricing information. The e-tron SUV will be available globally with $1,000 reservations underway now (as promised in July) for a mid-2019 delivery. The EV is a five-seat mid-size SUV that sitting firmly in the premium SUV market.

E-tron is 193-inches long, 76.3-inches wide, and 65.5-inches high with a 115.1-inch wheelbase giving plenty of room for people and cargo. The total luggage capacity in the trunk of the e-tron is 28.5 cu ft with the seats up, and up to 57 cu ft with the seats down. LED headlights are standard, and the SUV has styling that is consistent with the D segment offerings from Audi including the A7, A8, and Q8.

Standard wheels on the e-tron are 20-inch aerodynamically-optimized units with 255/50 tires engineered for low rolling resistance. Underneath the SUV the underbody is fully clad in aluminum plates to protect the high-voltage battery and help lower drag to increase efficiency and driving range. Audi went so far as to recess the screw connection points to create vortices to help air flow better. While the SUV is designed with a keen eye towards efficiency, it's also designed for sporty performance. E-tron will go from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and has a top speed of 124mph.

One of the big benefits of electric motors is that torque is available as soon as you step on the throttle, Audi says maximum drive torque is available in 250 milliseconds. All that power comes from a pair of asynchronous motors with a sophisticated cooling system meant to keep their temperature low, while power goes to the road via a single-stage transmission. When the e-tron is traveling at moderate speeds, the rear motor is the main source of power. When the vehicle is coasting, the motors operate with no magnetic drag torque.

Audi's energy recuperation system can recover up to 30% of the e-tron range depending on conditions, terrain, and driving style. It recovers energy by coasting recuperation when the driver releases the accelerator or by braking recuperation when the brakes are used. In 90% of braking scenarios, the vehicle is decelerated completely by the electric motors. Audi says if the driver wants, they can slow down and accelerate solely via the accelerator pedal.

Audi uses a four-stage Electronic Stabilization Control with sport and offroad modes; the system can also be turned off completely if desired. The suspension can adjust ride height by up to 3-inches depending on road speed and driving style to improve handling and increase aerodynamics. E-tron uses a 95-kWh battery pack that is under the cabin and has 36 cell modules in square aluminum housings. At launch, each of the cell modules has twelve pouch cells inside. The battery system operates at 396 volts and weighs 1,543.2-pounds.

Recharging via both AC and DC using an SAE J1772 plug and Combined Charging System standards is supported. Owners can charge from a standard 12V outlet at home at a rate of 1.2 kW or from a 240V fast charger at 9.6 kW. On a fast DC charge system, the battery can be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes using a 150kW charger. A standard home 9.6 kW AC level 2 charger will charge the battery overnight. Since the e-tron is an Audi, it comes with all the fancy tech and luxury you expect including the MMI Navigation system standard. That system also supports LTE Advanced WiFi for passengers. A Driver Assistance Package is optional with adaptive cruise and other features.

Audi is taking reservations on the e-tron at $1,000 and is currently expecting mid-2019 deliveries. The deposit is refundable for those who change minds before delivery. The base e-tron is the Premium Plus unit at $74,800 with the following equipment:

• 20-inch wheels w/ all-season tires
• Top view camera system
• Comfort pre-conditioning
• Audi side assist w/ cross-traffic alert
• Full LED exterior + interior lighting
• Matrix design headlamps
• MMI Navigation plus w/ virtual cockpit
• 3D 705W B&O Sound w/16 speakers
• Audi phonebox + smartphone interface
• 12-way power front seats, heated + cooled
• 4-spoke power adj. steering wheel
• Leather seating surfaces
• Illuminated aluminum door sills
• Panoramic sunroof

The $81,800 Prestige edition has all the previous equipment plus the following:

• Head-up display
• Driver Assistance package
• Individual Contour seats w/ massage
• Power-door closers
• Rear window sunshades
• Dual-pane acoustic front side windows
• Valcona Leather + extended leather
• Memory for front passenger seat
• Air quality package + ionizer

The First Edition retails for $86,700 and has the Prestige equipment and the following:

• 21-inch bi-color Black wheels, A/S tires
• Daytona Gray pearl effect paint
• Alu-Optic exterior trim (sills, air inlet, diffuser)
• Dynamic orange painted brake calipers
• Black Valcona leather interior w/gray contrast stitching
• Volcano Gray Ash Natural Wood inlays
• LED puddle lamp “edition one” projection
• Night Vision Assistant