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Audi has unveiled the sleek and slippery e-tron GT which has the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S rivals firmly in its sights.

It is Audi’s flagship electric car and is available in standard e-tron GT and RS performance versions. Full specifications of both variants will be made available closer to the car’s launch this spring.

Prices start at £79,900 for the e-tron GT, with the top-spec Vorsprung trim costing £106,000. That’s just £4,950 off the starting price of the RS e-tron GT, of which Carbon Black (£124,540) and Vorsprung (£133,340) versions will be available.

At the front, the e-tron GT is recognisably Audi with angled LED headlights and a wide ‘single frame’ grille. The majority of the grille is fared-in and body coloured because the two electric motors don’t require as much cooling as a petrol engine. There are oversized wheel arches to hint at the power on offer and the e-tron GT sits low to the ground, with a roofline that’s 17mm lower than the road-hugging Audi A7. Large alloy wheels range from 19 to 21 inches in size and there is a nine-piece external colour palette.

No exhaust pipes allows for a large aerodynamic diffuser, reducing lift to keep the rear of the e-tron GT stuck firmly to the road without generating range-sapping drag. There's also a retractable boot lid spoiler to provide downforce at higher speeds.

The e-tron GT boasts floor mats made from recycled fishing nets and a fully vegan-friendly interior that shuns leather in favour of synthetic upholstery. The interior look is familiar, with a layout inspired by the Audi A7 to provide a cockpit-like feel, while its width is accentuated by a dashboard centre section that flows outwards into the doors.

Although sleek and streamlined, the four-door e-tron GT still promises space for four adults. It will have a 405-litre rear boot and an additional 85-litre cable and oddment storage compartment under the bonnet. Inside, six-footers will fit in the back, and the battery cells have been arranged in such a way as to allow ‘foot garage’ hollows in the car's floor, which provide foot space for passengers.

With both marques being members of the Volkswagen Auto Group, the Audi e-tron GT shares many parts with the Porsche Taycan and is built on the same production line as the Audi R8 supercar.

Both standard and RS models bring impressive performance. The standard e-tron GT produces 469 bhp and reaches 0-62 mph in a little over four seconds, while the Audi RS e-tron GT has 590 bhp and accelerates to 62 mph in a blistering 3.3 seconds. Engage launch control and, for 2.5 seconds, maximum power is increased to 523 and 637 bhp respectively.

A motor on each axle delivers all-wheel drive, while the car’s top-of-the-range status means it gets Audi’s best chassis technology. All-wheel steering, air suspension and a rear differential lock are all part of the package, while you can spec carbon-ceramic brakes at extra cost.

The Audi e-tron GT is designed to be a grand tourer, so a long battery range is important. A 93 kW/h battery and a slippery aerodynamic body permit a projected range of 298 miles, which is some way off the Tesla Model S but is still respectable. The Porsche Taycan’s 800V technology is present here too, and allows superfast DC charging at up to 270 kW. Find a powerful enough charge point and the battery can be topped up to 80% in 23 minutes. Charging for just five minutes adds 62 miles of range – the electric equivalent of a £5 splash-and-dash.

AC charging at up to 11kW is included too and Audi says that 22kW will be available shortly after launch. This will allow easy overnight charging at home or at work during the day. Regenerative braking is on hand to top up battery range, with a single-pedal driving mode that negates brake pedal use.

AUDI: e-tron GT revealed - and an RS too!

The all-electric e-tron S is the latest Audi to receive the ‘S’ treatment. It’s the first production electric car to feature three electric motors and pumps out a stonking 489hp.

The all-electric e-tron S is the latest Audi to receive the ‘S’ treatment. It’s the first production electric car to feature three electric motors and pumps out a stonking 489hp. Available in e-tron and e-tron Sportback body styles, you’ll be able to order the new models later this month. Prices start from £87,000 and £88,700 for the e-tron SUV and e-tron Sportback models respectively.

When they arrive in showrooms, the e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback will slot into the firm's performance SUV range between the refreshed SQ5 and the current SQ7. They provide a more powerful alternative to the Jaguar I-Pace, and almost exactly match the Tesla Model X Long Range for acceleration.

Thanks largely to the wheel arch extensions, the e-tron S pair are 5cm wider than the standard e-tron, while S styling touches like aluminium mirror caps and extra trim are fitted. The front end features active grilles and vents, which open and close as required to improve efficiency. UK models are fitted with 21-inch alloy wheels as standard, but 22s are available as an optional extra.

Inside, buyers get electrically-adjustable sports seats upholstered in premium Nappa leather and a brushed aluminium trim finisher – although a carbon-fibre version is available as an option. Like the range-entry e-tron, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital display is standard alongside online navigation, while a head-up display and cameras instead of wing mirrors can be specified.

The standard e-tron and e-tron Sportback aren’t lacking in power, with over 400hp on tap and an electric motor on each axle, but the S versions come with 489bhp thanks to a second motor positioned on the rear axle. The 0-62mph time is 4.5 seconds and the top speed is 130mph. Besides the Audi S8 saloon, the hotter e-tron is the fastest S model Audi makes.

Only the rear motors are used in normal driving but the front motor is engaged for hard acceleration and if the wheels start to lose traction. The two rear motors can send varying amounts of power to each wheel as needed and Audi says the ‘S’ versions are more rear-biased than regular models.

S-specific adaptive suspension is fitted, which can adjust the ride height by up to 76mm to best suit the seven driving modes available.

The extra performance only slightly affects range, as the e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback manage 223 and 226 miles respectively on a full charge, whereas the ‘55 quattro’ e-tron versions offer up to 256 miles. Like the standard e-tron’s, you can charge the ‘S’ variants at 150kW fast chargers, which should replenish the battery to 80% in around half an hour.

Every e-tron S ordered before the end of the year gets a 7kW home wallbox included in the price and a year’s access to the e-tron charging service that allows you to use chargers from 18 different charge point providers via one account.

New e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback break cover

With its e-tron and e-tron Sportback models, Audi is making electric mobility a reality for long-distance driving – thanks in part to its unique charging curve.

Drivers of an all-electric Audi benefit from high charging speeds because the charging capacity of up to 150kW is available for a large portion of the charging process, which enables thermal management of the lithium-ion battery. In order to evaluate the everyday usability of an electric car, customers should consider not just the stated maximum charging capacity but also the charging speed.

Recharging of an electric car mostly occurs at home or at work. In either location, the charging time holds little influence. However, on a long-distance journey every minute counts and fast charging is essential. After a brief break, the car should be ready for the next stage again. Because of this, many customers focus on the maximum charging capacity of their electric car to assess the charging characteristics – but this is of only limited use if it concerns quick refuelling of range at a fast charging terminal.

High charging speed (kWh / minute recharged) over the entire charging process is essential for a short charging duration. In other words, a high charging capacity must be available for as long a period as possible. Audi’s e-tron models with their continuous output impress with precisely this property.

Charging speed holds more sway than pure charging capacity

In the current competitive environment, the Audi e-tron takes the lead with a high-performance charging capacity even if there are already models on the market with a nominally higher output.

The difference is in the details: The ability of the HPC (High Power Charging) fast charging to provide the highest possible output at the charging terminal is of course a prerequisite, but it is not the most crucial factor.

A high current consumption on the part of the battery for a large portion of the charging process is just as important. However, if the car charges with maximum output over a relatively short period and needs to lower its power early, the charging speed will also simultaneously reduce – i.e. battery capacity recharged per unit of time.

Thanks to an ideal charging curve with maximum output available for a long period of time, the charging speed is the more substantial criterion when it comes to charging performance and, ultimately, it guarantees a short charging time. As well as the average consumption, it also depends on how much range can be recharged on average over a defined period, for example within ten minutes.

It’s the charging curve that makes the difference

When it comes to the charging curve, the Audi e-tron 55 plays to its advantages: The curve of an HPC terminal with 150kW output stands out at a high level thanks to its continuity. Under ideal conditions the car charges between 5% and 70% state of charge at the threshold of the maximum output before the intelligent battery management reduces the current. A major difference from other concepts, which normally only reach their full output for a short time – at the ‘peak’ – and lower their power considerably before reaching the 70% threshold.

On a day-to-day basis, this means an elementary advantage: For a range of around 68 miles, the customer ideally spends just under 10 minutes at the charging terminal. The Audi e-tron 55 reaches the 80% mark after approximately 30 minutes. Even though it takes much longer, for technical reasons, to fill the remaining 20 percent of a lithium-ion battery, fully charging (5% to 100% state of charge) at an HPC terminal takes around 45 minutes – an everyday advantage in the competitive environment.

Sophisticated thermal management ensures a quicker recharge

The lithium-ion battery of the Audi e-tron 55 has a gross capacity of 95kWh (net 86.5 kWh) and has been designed for a long life cycle. Its elaborate thermal management system forms the basis for balanced performance and durability. Liquid cooling ensures that the battery’s temperature remains in the optimum range of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, even at high stress levels or low exterior temperatures. Twenty-two litres of coolant circulates in the total of 40 metres of cooling lines in the four coolant circuits.

During DC charging with 150kW, cold coolant takes away the heat that occurs as a result of electrical internal resistance in the battery. The core of the cooling system is made up of extruded profiles – visually comparable with a slatted frame – which have been affixed to the battery system from below. A newly developed, thermally conductive adhesive joins the cooling unit to the battery housing.

The gap filler forms the contact between the housing and the cell modules placed in it. This filler is a thermally conductive gel that fills the space to the housing beneath every cell module. The gel evenly transfers the waste heat produced by the cells to the coolant via the battery housing. The spatial separation of elements and battery cells carrying cooling water also increases the overall system’s safety. An additional positive side effect of this elaborate design is the high resilience in the event of a crash.

AUDI EVs: Charging capacity vs charging speed

Tag: etron

AUDI: e-tron GT revealed - and an RS too!

New e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback break cover

AUDI EVs: Charging capacity vs charging speed

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