Audi pulled the wraps off of its first ever all-electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron SUV, at a September 17 launch event in San Francisco. Here’s what you really need to know about the 2019 Audi e-tron and it could be the German company’s coolest car ever.
The Audi e-tron SUV is one of the biggest reveals in the storied German auto maker’s history, and I was over in San Francisco to take in its full unveiling, after months of being teased with concepts and prototypes.
Watch the video above for everything you need to know about the Audi e-tron in just over two minutes, including exclusive preview footage of the e-tron from my time in California.
Alternatively, read on for all the Audi e-tron 2019 details you need.
What is the Audi E-Tron 2019 SUV? Range and specs explained
Audi’s first all-electric car, the e-tron is a 5-seater, all-wheel drive SUV that’s visually similar to its Q Series vehicles and plopped somewhere between the Q5 and Q7 in terms of size.
The e-tron features two electrics motors (320 kW combined total output in ‘boost mode’), a 95 kWh battery pack, and supports DC fast-charging up to 150 kW – that means it can go from flat to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes, making it the first car to charge faster than a Tesla. At home, you’re more likely to rely on 11kW AC charging and it’ll take around eight hours to fully juice up the e-tron.
The e-tron’s range is still to be confirmed, but Audi has said it will be around 250 miles. The other key spec is a top 0-60mph speed of 5.7 seconds.
Numbers aside, the neatest feature to my eye was probably the virtual wing mirror. Instead of a traditional reflective surface, Audi has fitted the e-tron SUV with side-mounted cameras that beam visuals to a 7-inch OLED display integrated into the inside of the door.
As well as looking cool, Audi says this streamlined design helps reduce wind noise when the vehicle’s in motion. Unlike your first Tinder date, silence is almost certainly a good thing here, as the e-tron SUV is equipped with a Bang & Olufsen soundsystem. Just be careful not to drown out the Spotify by talking to yourself, as the e-tron’s infotainment system comes with Amazon Alexa support.
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Audi E-Tron SUV: Price and release date
The Audi e-tron starts at £70,805 in the UK, while US pricing is from $74,800 and it’s at least €80,000 in Europe. The standard package comes with 20-inch wheels, a sunroof, air suspension, heated (and cooled) fabric seats, and inductive wireless charging. Upgrades on offer include e-tron exclusive paint jobs, souped up 21-inch wheels, and leather seats.
Reservations are now open, provided you can part with a (refundable) £1000 deposit, and the e-tron is expected to start shipping in 2019.
After that, Audi plans to roll out the e-tron to its sporty S series later in 2019, followed by GT and compact versions in 2020.
Audi Launch Live Stream: Watch the Audi e-tron SUV reveal
Audi live streamed its September 17 e-tron SUV launch event, so you can catch up on all the action from San Francisco below, as well as the firm’s e-tron 2019 teaser trailer.
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Would you pay €80,000 for the Audi e-tron SUV? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
