Audi E-Tron is Natural Tesla Model X Rival

That's not the new Q5, is it?

Vorsprung Durch Technik is Audi’s famous tagline and it represents the company’s engineering philosophy, transcending a mere creative thinktank in Audi’s marketing department. Doing justice to that philosophy means embracing and delivering new technologies and in 2018, that certainly encompasses an element of electrical propulsion for any automotive product portfolio.

Audi’s first true electric vehicle has been revealed and it will go on sale in the United States by mid-2019. It’s called the E-Tron and unsurprisingly, owing to the configuration’s popularity, it is an SUV.

A swift SUV

Powering the E-Tron is a 95kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which in turn energizes dual electric motors, driving each axle. Total system power output is a generous 400 hp and it makes E-Tron quite a swift mid-sized SUV. The benchmark 0-60 mph sprint will take a whisper under six seconds, at full throttle, and Audi’s limited top speed to 124 mph, in the interest of keeping range at a relatively decent level of approximately 250 miles on a full charge.

E-Tron isn’t shy of towing either, for those potential Audi EV SUV owners who have a watercraft or horsebox to hitch, with a trailer tow rating 4000 pounds. With 414 lb-ft of torque, it’s hauling ability is no surprise.

>>Join the conversation about Tesla Model X's newest rival right here in Audiworld.com.

Recharging in minutes, instead of hours

Range anxiety is the issue which has most dramatically constrained potential early adopters from making the transition out of internal combustion vehicles to those powered by batteries. You’ll notice that E-Tron has air ducts in its grille, which is one of the many intricate detail design features making it as efficient as possible. Those ducts are to aid cooling for the battery pack, which helps Audi achieve a very respectable 250-mile real world range with E-Tron.

Better yet, is its recharging convenience. Engineered to accept 150kW charging station energy transfer, you’ll be able to recharge an E-Tron to 80% battery capacity in only 30 minutes.

>>Join the conversation about Tesla Model X's newest rival right here in Audiworld.com.

Typically Audi, both contemporary and classic inside

Audi’s cabin architecture is renowned as an example of German Bauhaus design minimalism that just works. With E-Tron that tradition is continued, featuring dual infotainment screens, 10.1- and 8.6-inches respectively, dominating the driver and front passenger’s field of view. They’ve really embraced the entire electrification revolution with subliminal clues such as precision stitching on the leather seats, which allegedly represent the linework and geometry of a circuit board.

It’s roomy inside and with an entirely flat floor, which is possible because there is no propeller shaft or transmission tunnel protruding into the cabin, legroom is generous for all occupants, even those who end up seated in the middle of the rear bench.

>>Join the conversation about Tesla Model X's newest rival right here in Audiworld.com.

Batteries make it comfier and safer

One of the biggest benefits of a battery-powered vehicle, is its packaging. Without an engine up front, you can design something which has a lot more room inside for passengers and luggage space in the back. Batteries in the floor help free-up even more cabin and stowage volume.

Audi claims E-Tron will accommodate 28.5 cu ft of luggage with its second-row seating place. Use the fold-down function and that increases to 57 cu ft. Having those batteries below the floor makes E-Tron safer too, by strengthening the front and side impact crash resistance of the cabin.

>>Join the conversation about Tesla Model X's newest rival right here in Audiworld.com.

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