Audi has showcased many e-tron concepts in the past previewing their impending vehicles. Now, at the Geneva Motor Show, the Ingolstadt-based carmaker has revealed the e-tron Prototype, their first production-ready pure electric vehicle.
Although still camouflaged, the e-tron is an electric SUV with five seats and plenty of storage. Audi claims to have completed extreme condition testing across the globe on almost 250 development vehicles before revealing the e-tron show car. Power comes from a 15kW battery with fast charging feature. The exact range or power output is yet to be divulged but we know it boasts of a quattro all-wheel-drive system. There are rumours of a 500 kilometres range via two electric motors on each axle.
The battery pack will sit where Audi has used contrasting orange and black colour on the camouflage. It is “mimicking the high-voltage grid”, explains Audi. The overall styling is a typical Four Ring with cascading grille, Q3-like headlights, and sleek single strip LED tail lights. The mirrors are sleek camera units but we also saw the conventional ORVMs when the prototype hit the streets of Geneva earlier this week. There is no glimpse inside right now but we are sure to see Audi's Virtual Cockpit and the familiar cabin of the e-tron.
The production version of the Audi e-tron will be launched in the European market towards the end of 2018. It will be joined by 20 other electric and plug-in models from all the segments and concept guises by the end of next decade. When the new e-tron takes on the streets it will have an electrified competition from the likes of the Tesla Model X, Jaguar I-Pace and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQC. The electric crossover segment is flourishing it seems.
