Audi E-Tron...only $80,450

[Bouldergramp]

From November Consumers Reports:
AUDI E-TRON, the latest EV from an established automaker, looks like a conventional luxury SUV. It has an understated, classy interior and an excellent ride. We give the Audi high marks, in part because it doesn’t compromise on cabin room and controls like its main competitors, the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. Driving the E-Tron is a treat. Its electric motors silently propel the SUV forward in a smooth, dignifi ed manner without the head-snapping lunge off the line we’ve experienced in some other electric vehicles. But make no mistake, if a driver needs a quick getaway, a forceful push on the accelerator provides plenty of power. The standard air suspension delivers a superb ride and masks every bump and dip in the road. In this regard, the E-Tron is far superior to the Jaguar and Tesla. But this 5,800-pound luxury SUV doesn’t corner as nimbly as those rivals. The EPA rates the E-Tron’s range at 204 miles, which lags its peers. Like all EVs, the range is likely to drop in colder months. It took us an agonizingly long 12 hours to fully charge the 95-kWh battery from nearly empty on a 240-volt charger. The E-Tron has a finicky motorized door covering its charging port that doesn’t always open or close at the fi rst push of the button. Forward collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning (BSW), and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW) come standard.

ROAD-TEST SCORE 84
HIGHS Ride, acceleration, seat comfort, fit and finish, no tailpipe emissions, low running costs
LOWS Charging times, range, charging port door
POWERTRAIN 355-hp electric motors; 1-speed direct drive transmission; all-wheel drive
RANGE 204 miles
PRICE AS TESTED $80,450

 

[frontrangeleaf]

We saw the eTron at a special event hosted by our dealer before they went on sale last spring.

Gorgeous inside and out. But too rich and just too big for our purposes.

We’ll wait for the eTron Q4 expected some time next year. Also want to see the ID 4.

Interesting times.

 

[GRA]

IEVS:

Tesla Model X Vs Audi e-tron: Epic Electric SUV Twisty Track Battle

https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi...VQeR3Ch3_YQESEAAYASAAEgI3WPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


The Model X is probably faster in a drag race, but the e-Tron wins on a track thanks to its tighter suspension.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

We sat in the car at the auto show. I didn’t feel like it was all that roomy inside. Bjorn seems to love driving the car.

 

[WetEV]

I like driving mine.
Lots of room for the increasing amount of stuff we need, like a wheelchair.

 

[DougWantsALeaf]

Is the 204 range estimate pretty accurate?

It did seem like a comfy car.

 

[WetEV]

Is the 204 range estimate pretty accurate?

It did seem like a comfy car.

As usual, depends on how you drive. My car has the larger wheels which gives a slightly shorter range, 190 something. And I don't like going below 20%, so I'd likely not drive past 160 miles without a charge stop. And as we get older, we need to stop more often for other reasons, so the range isn't much of a problem.

Driving slightly more carefully than usual, I drove 93 miles and used 47% of the battery. That gives 198 miles, give or take.

It is a very comfy car. With the massaging seats. Wife can be happy on longer trips. Happy wife is a happy life.

 

[cwerdna]

It seems like this thread should be merged with the existing e-Tron thread.

 

[GRA]

ABG:

Audi E-Tron S and E-Tron Sportback S add a motor, bursts of 496 hp
Three-motor drivetrain means better handling and drifting

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/03/02/audi-e-tron-s-and-e-tron-sportback-s-add-a-motor-and-more-power/

. . . The standard E-Tron puts one motor on each axle, the front producing 168 horsepower and 182 pound-feet, the rear producing 188 hp and 232 lb-ft. in the E-Tron 55. The S models move the more powerful rear motor to the front axle, put two of the less powerful front motor on the rear axle, and upgrade the power equation. The front motor in the S models peaks at 201 hp and 262 lb-ft, each rear motor peaks at 177 hp and 228 lb-ft. Combined output comes in at 429 hp and 596 lb-ft in typical conditions, peaking at 496 hp and 718 lb-ft during eight-second spells of extra boost when the driver pushes the accelerator past a detent. That boost mode provides 94 hp and 228 lb-ft more than available in the entry-level E-Tron, with each S model able to make the run to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds.

Battery capacity holds steady at 95.3 kWh, but the sporty utes are given access to more of that capacity, tapping 91 percent of battery power instead of 88 percent as in the standard E-Tron. Audi hasn't revealed how the extra motor — and weight — affect range, but there will likely be a slight decline from the regular E-Tron's WLTP ratings, which span from 209 to 280 miles depending on model. Audi is working on battery upgrades that unlock more range, though, having already secured 15 more miles from the E-Tron's battery pack. Now all the automaker needs to do is secure a consistent battery supply. . . .

The progressive steering gets a retune, the adaptive suspension's been firmed up and supplemented with firmer bushings and larger stabilizer bars front and rear, and wider 285-mm tires are fitted all around.

The front axle employs brake-based torque vectoring via six-pot calipers and larger discs, whereas the electric motors in the rear operate each wheel and control torque distribution without need for a differential. The motor controlling the outside wheel in a turn can throw 162 lb-ft more torque than is being given to the inside wheel; Audi says that after gear and final drive multiplication, the actual torque difference between the inside and outside rear wheels can reach 1,549 lb-ft. During off-throttle cornering, the inside motor can apply up to 0.3 G of regenerative braking force to create a similar effect. When it's time to slow the whole shebang, the regenerative braking system can recapture up to 270 kW in a regen-only stop from 62 mph.

Aesthetic changes mark the move to S specification, including reshaped bumpers, larger front intakes, wheel arches flared an extra 0.9 inch, S badges, and silver-look pieces dotted around the exterior.

 

[GRA]

GCR:

Audi E-Tron fast charging: Why predictability was a priority over peak power

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...predictability-was-a-priority-over-peak-power

. . . As Audi has previously emphasized about the E-Tron SUV and E-Tron Sportback, the maximum charging rate isn’t as important as the charging rate that the vehicle can maintain over time. It’s the latter that makes your highway stop predictable. . . .

Audi claims that it can maintain predictable charging rates close to its peak 150 kw over a very wide outside temperature range—and whether you plug in at 5% or 50%—thanks to some smart decisions about thermal management. . . .

The E-Tron’s thermal system maintains the battery’s temperature in its optimum range of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, even at extreme high or low outside temperatures. To keep the battery charging at or near those rates at temperature extremes the battery system utilizes either a cooler or a high-voltage heater.

Gramlich informed Green Car Reports that an outside temperature of -10 degrees C (14 degrees F) will work for those rates. But most of the time you’d drive for some time before fast-charging, which will help warm those systems somewhat. . . .

GCR asked Gramlich whether its future models, which range from the upcoming E-Tron GT performance car to the affordable Q4 crossover, among others, will follow the same even-keeled charging strategy. “For upcoming models it is true to say that 150-kw charging will not be the end of development,” she said. “But even looking to the future, there will still be the same need as today to find a balance between charging capacity and charging speed.”

“With more different types of models on the market there will be the chance to match the charging concept more to the model characteristics, for example linking a performance model to a charging concept that favors charging speed,” Gramlich added.

For the time being, the E-Tron strikes a great balance from what we’ve observed. Audi says that starting at 5%, one might recover 110 kilometers (68 miles) of range after 10 minutes—a rate it can keep from 10 to 20 minutes, and on from 20 to 30 minutes, when it will reach about 80%. A full charge will take just 45 minutes. . . .

 

[GRA]

GCR:

Audi E-Tron GT and E-Tron SUV EV families carry over; Q4 due this summer

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...suv-ev-families-carry-over-q4-due-this-summer

The Audi E-Tron GT and E-Tron SUV EV families will carry over to the 2023 model year essentially unchanged, and will soon be joined by the Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron electric SUVs.

Introduced for the 2022 model year in standard E-Tron GT and sporty RS E-Tron GT guises, Audi's electric sedan gets a standard body-color grille, a second charge port on the passenger's side, an integrated toll module in the rearview mirror, and a handful of other equipment changes.

The previously optional Bang & Olufsen audio system and 20-inch all-season tires are now standard, and a new 21-inch wheel design is an optional extra on the E-Tron GT Prestige trim level. The optional Executive Package adds LED interior lighting and heated rear seats, while the RS E-Tron GT gets a new option package with Anthracite brake calipers and 21-inch wheels.

Following the introduction of three-motor S versions for 2022, the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback SUVs get a handful of small changes, mostly for the low-roofed Sportback model.

The E-Tron Sportback Prestige gets more standard equipment, including 22-inch wheels, orange brake calipers, rear side airbags, and a new headlight design. The previously optional Black Optic exterior styling package is now standard as well. The E-Tron S and E-Tron Sportback S get the same new headlight design and a standard LED interior lighting package.

No other changes were reported. Although official 2023 EPA figures aren't available yet, range ratings likely won't deviate from the base 2022 E-Tron's 222 miles and E-Tron GT's 238 miles, with lower ranges for other versions.

Pricing starts at $67,895 for the base E-Tron and $86,295 for the E-Tron S, while the Sportback versions of these models start at $71,095 and $88,895, respectively. The E-Tron GT starts at $105,945 and the RS E-Tron GT starts at $144,945. These prices include a $1,095 destination charge for E-Tron SUV and $1,045 destination charge for E-Tron GT models.

The Q4 E-Tron SUV and Sportback were originally due before the end of 2021, and are now expected to arrive this summer, according to Audi. . . .

I've seen a couple of e-Tron GTs recently (not sure if they were the regular or RS), and I think I prefer their looks to the Taycan, although as I've only seen any of them separated by long intervals, its hard to compare.

 

[cwerdna]

Someone posted this at chevybolt.org as "Eject the core!"

https://electrek.co/2023/02/02/audi-e-tron-battery-pack-seen-ejecting-during-crash/