“By 2025, 25 percent of our lineup will be battery-driven models”.
Advertisement
Audi hasn’t made any technical modifications to the A3 e-tron.
The rumoured Audi A9 limousine looks set to become a reality, after the company’s boss reportedly gave the go-ahead for the new model to go into production.
According to the report, the new electric sedan will also have the inductive charging feature, as well as an autonomous parking function that enables the vehicle to drive itself to a parking spot with a charging plate.
The A9’s EV platform will be shared with the Q6, which differs from the one being developed for the production version of Porsche’s Mission E concept – that has also been approved for production.
Like the run-of-the-mill Audi A3 sedan and cabriolet, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron enters the 2017 model year with a host of changes both inside and out. “We’ll start with the production version of the e-tron quattro concept vehicle, which will have a range of up to 500km”.
Audi’s e-tron quattro concept.
Although Stadler is yet to name the A9 e-tron officially, he describes the big electric saloon as being “as high up as possible, in the A8 segment”. The motors will receive power from a 95kWh battery mounted below the passenger compartment.
The E-tron will start at $39,850 (including $950 freight) for 2017, representing an increase of $1,000 over the 2016 edition.
The electric vehicle maker’s first mass market auto, the Model 3, will also be going up against General Motors Chevy Bolt.
While VW has already entered the electric vehicle game with the e-up! and e-Golf, Audi is trailing behind with a couple of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Audi is looking at electric drivetrain tuning as one way where it will be able to offer a differentiating advantage to potential consumers. The 2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron also has available expanded technology offerings including Audi virtual cockpit.
The new saloon will also spearhead Audi’s push into fully autonomous driving as the first model to offer level four technology.
Advertisement
Ricky Hudi, Audi’s head of electric development, said level four will be even more advanced.
