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Updated September 21, 2018: Audi has announced pricing of its upcoming all-electric crossover, the e-tron. With a base price of $74,800, it will cost just shy of $25,000 more than the brand’s big, beautiful Q8 SUV. AutoWeek reports pricing, which includes shipping costs, on higher trim levels: “Premium Plus trim and jumps to $82,795 for the higher Prestige trim level. The First Edition model has a starting price of $87,695.”
A hefty premium for going alt-fuel, for sure. The e-tron will achieve a claimed 250 miles of range. Audi is accepting refundable $1,000 deposits now.
Previous Coverage:
Audi officially pulled the cover of its first all-electric SUV, the e-tron. Meant to be the swiss army knife of premium EV people-movers, the Audi e-tron is designed to be practical, sporty and luxurious all at once while delivering an exceptionally long emission-free range. The mid-size SUV is spacious enough to carry five passengers and still leave 28 cubic feet of cargo space, for daily use or even road trips – which it can do, with a little help. As far as its contemporaries go, the e-tron is right in the middle, larger than the Jaguar I-Pace yet smaller than the Tesla Model X.
From the outset, the e-tron is consistent with the brand’s SUV styling, save for the fully enclosed grille signifying it as a fully electric model.
Though power and torque output specs aren’t yet available, the e-tron is stated to deliver maximum torque in 250 milliseconds, providing 0 to 60 launches of 5.5 seconds, accelerating up to its 124 mph top speed. Two asynchronous motors are in play, working with single-stage transmissions to distribute torque as needed.
Electric all-wheel drive means a new generation of Audi’s patented “Quattro” drive. Like the mechanical systems of old, the system will allocate power accordingly, depending on the situation, be it dynamic driving or less-than-favorable road conditions. With an electric system, torque can be redistributed in the blink of an eye.
