All posts in “E-Tron”

Audi A6 e-tron concept

Audi is giving us the four-door Audi A6 e-tron concept at the Auto Shanghai 2021 show as a preview of the future, fully electric luxury cars, taking their new “Premium Platform Electric,” or PPE for short, into production for new Audi cars on the horizon, for 2022, the first production cars using the PPE will be launched in the C-segment, later to be joined by models in the B-segment, and Audi also intends to extend their PPE platform to both SUVs and dynamically styled models with a lower ride height, such as the upcoming Audi A6 e-tron.

The Audi A6 e-tron concept to be shown at the Auto Shanghai 2021 show represents an entirely new design concept, the only thing it has in common with the current A6 are its dimensions, at 4.96-meter-long, 1.96-meter-wide, and 1.44-meter-high, the concept’s body was designed as a Sportback, and its lines are an obvious reflection of the systematic advancement of Audi’s current design language.

For its part, the PPE technology will ensure that what the car’s lines imply is actually translated into dynamic driving performance and everyday suitability befitting use as a primary vehicle. Specifically, this means that depending on the selected drive system and model version, an Audi A6 e-tron is expected to boast a range of more than 700 kilometers (based on the WLTP standard) in the future – and the most powerful member of the family is anticipated to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than four seconds.

Large 22-inch wheels and short overhangs, the flat cabin, and the wide coupe roof arch give the vehicle proportions distinctly reminiscent of a sports car. The absence of hard edges results in smooth transitions between convex and concave surfaces throughout the body, as well as in soft shadows. The Audi A6 e-tron concept appears monolithic, as if from a single mold, particularly when viewed from the side.

Heliosilver is the name of the technoid-looking color of the paint, which in turn adds aesthetic presence and functionality to the appearance of the Audi A6 e-tron concept. The paint accentuates the shapes of the body with a three-dimensional depth effect, which is particularly visible in the area around the quattro wheel arches. In the front end, the Singleframe grille, also in Heliosilver, forms a striking contrast to the deep matte black color of the frame. This stark contrast also accentuates the horizontally oriented proportions in the rocker panel sections on the sides of the vehicle.

The heart of the Audi A6 e-tron concept’s drive technology, and that of all future PPE models, is the 800-volt charging technology. Like the Audi e-tron GT before it, this ensures that the Audi A6 e-tron concept’s battery can be charged with up to 270 kW in a very short time at public DC fast-charging stations. This revolutionary technology will enter the high-volume mid-range and luxury segments with the PPE for the very first time.

This technology makes charging times possible that come close to a stop to refuel a car powered by a conventional engine. Just 10 minutes at a public DC fast charger are enough to charge the battery to a level sufficient to power the car more than 300 kilometers. And in less than 25 minutes at a public DC fast charger, you can charge the Audi A6 e-tron concept’s 100 kWh battery from 5 to 80 percent.

Together with an expected range of more than 700 kilometers, depending on the selected drive system and power output, the Audi A6 e-tron concept is uncompromisingly suitable for use as a primary vehicle. Furthermore, its range and charging speed keep pace with those of combustion engines, making it the perfect universal car for everyday needs, from short trips to the store to longer road trips when going on vacation.

A $165,000 Audi RS e-tron GT

Some might consider the new 2022 Audi e-tron GT as a cheaper alternative to the Porsche Taycan, and while prices start at $99,900 for the Audi Premium Plus, a comparable 522 hp version from Porsche would be the Taycan 4S at $103,800, so there isn’t much difference in price at that level … but when you delve into the options list for the new Audi, things quickly change, and you get into Porsche pricing in a heartbeat.

A sample of the Audi exclusive special paint

Go for the impressive RS e-tron GT and the base price already jumps to $139,900 … that’s a $40,000 premium, and that’s before options, but now you get 637 hp with 612 lb-ft of torque, a top speed of 155 mph, and an acceleration figure of 3.1 seconds thanks to dual synchronous electric motors with 93 kWh Li-ion battery, so that’s close to Porsche Taycan Turbo specifications, but that one starts at $150,900.

Fear not, on the 2022 RS e-tron GT you can opt for the impressive Year One package at $20,350, which includes among other things 21-inch, 5-twin-spoke concept car design wheels, lots of visible carbon fiber, RS seats, RS steering wheel, carbon-ceramic brakes with red calipers, and those amazing HD Matrix-design LED headlights with Audi laser light and animation … just so you can have a show when you open or close the car.

A sample of the Audi exclusive special paint

One final way to really make your brand new Audi RS e-tron GT stand out from the crowd is to add the $3,900 Audi exclusive special paint color, which might be a good idea as the standard color palette isn’t really too extensive, to be honest, a white, some silver,  a few greys, a black, a blue, a bright red and a strange shade of green they call Tactical Green metallic, and that’s it.

A sample of the Audi exclusive special paint

But this way you will end up with a bespoke Audi RS e-tron GT in an exclusive paint, if you want to stand out of the crowd with a serious counterpart from Porsche, you’ll end up with the Taycan Turbo S that starts at $185,000 but can quickly go well beyond the $200,000 mark when you start adding options to that one too, but for some, the brand will be important too at this price level … and in the end, driving an Audi just isn’t the same as driving a Porsche.

Audi Will Build Production Version of PB18 e-tron

An All-Electric, German Supercar

Audi confirmed in a recent interview that it will take the PB18 e-tron concept car that it showed off last year and make a production model. The all-electric supercar is a model that wowed everyone when it appeared at Monterey Car Week.

However, I didn’t expect it to actually become a production car. With that said, Audi is pushing hard for EV development, and this is one way to continue that progress. 

Audi’s Global CEO Bram Schot told Autoweek Netherlands that the company would make 50 of the unique EV supercar. He also said the car would be launched in the next two years. 

Schot didn’t let slip many details about the car. If it has performance specifications close to the actual concept, the vehicle could have 671 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. Audi claimed the car could go from 0 to 62 mph in just two seconds. I hope the production car will be that powerful and fast or even faster. 

Powering the concept car was a 95-kilowatt-hour battery that provided enough juice for about 310 miles of range. Audi claimed that the 800-volt charger allowed the battery to reach full capacity in about 15 minutes. 

I don’t know if we should expect the production car to have more impressive or less impressive technology than the concept car. My first instinct is to suggest it would be slightly less impressive. However, with the way EV technology is developing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Audi could squeeze a little more performance out of the design by the time the car came to market. 

According to The Supercar Blog, the car will be a precursor to the new Audi R8, which it says will be a 1000 hp all-electric supercar.