Australia all set for e-tron arrival

Completely new technology but familiar design, performance and quality mark the arrival of the all-new Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback models in Australia. Come September and customers will be able to slip behind the wheel of the brand’s first all-electric models when they make their eagerly awaited debut Down Under, bringing with them a new wave of cutting-edge automotive technology and writing a new chapter for Audi in Australia.

Australian customers will be able to choose from potentially six different variants from the outset, with two distinct batteries and two body styles, as well as two limited edition variants available to mark the arrival of the brand’s first-ever all-electric models in the country.

As well as being the first of what will be a comprehensive line-up of all-electric vehicles for the brand in the coming years, the Audi e-trons also represent a raft of industry firsts, from the benchmark recuperation technology to the all-electric quattro system and of course the Audi virtual wing mirrors – the first time such technology has been offered in series production. 

“This is Audi engineering at its finest – bringing future mobility to life in a way that is impressive, yet familiar enough for customers to be thrilled by their very first experience,” says Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia.
“Around the world, those who have never driven an electric vehicle before have been captivated by the way the Audi e-tron brings refined silence, effortless performance and zero-emission driving together in such a seamless fashion.” 

Indeed, aside from the technological and performance aspects, one of the factors that has most impressed overseas motoring experts since the e-tron’s first appearance is its familiarity. Whether it be the Audi e-tron in SUV form or even the brand’s distinctive e-tron Sportback design, the styling of the Audi e-tron has never sought to present as some wild vision of future mobility for the sake of looking different. From first glance, the e-tron is all Audi both inside and out – but it is in the powerplant and the technology employed that the genius of this new model is revealed. 

In terms of styling the e-tron is familiar but with subtle styling cues that set it apart from the Q family models which are closest to it in design. Most similar in size to the Audi Q7 SUV, it offers generous levels of accommodation for up to five adults and 660 litres of luggage at the same time, and of course without the transmission tunnel of a conventional vehicle, the person in the middle of the back row of seats enjoys more room than ever before.

The Audi e-tron represents a real world luxury SUV, and while operating with zero emissions, importantly, it also delivers real world performance. Of the two models arriving in September, both use an electric motor on the front and rear axles for a new generation of Audi quattro, powered by a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, made up of pouch cells that store the electrical energy. These individual cells can also be repaired if required, negating the need for battery replacement.

The two different variants – the Audi e-tron 50 quattro at $137,700* and the e-tron 55 quattro ($146,700*) are also available with the Sportback styling. The e-tron Sportback 50 quattro will arrive from $148,700 while the more powerful e-tron Sportback 55 quattro starts at $157,700.
Both of the e-tron 55 variants store up to 95KWh of energy for a range of over 400km, while the e-tron 50 quattro offers up 71kWh of energy for a range of over 300km – making both models more than capable of covering what we’d call ‘ proper Australian’ distances on a full charge. 

Performance too is in keeping with what customers expect of an Audi vehicle, with the e-tron 50 quattro variants producing 230kW of power and 540Nm of torque for a 0 to 100km/h sprint of 6.8 seconds.

Step into the e-tron 55 quattro models and those figures ramp up to 300kW and 664Nm of torque which translates to a blistering 5.7 second 0 to 100km/h on the way to a top speed of 200km/h.

The Audi e-tron is also one of the few all-electric vehicles on the market that offers genuine towing capacity – able to tow up to 1.8 tonnes, again demonstrating real world capability.

Add to this the fact that both can be charged via the supplied 11kW AC home-charging kit or up to 150kW DC fast-charging (120kW for e-tron 50) and longer trips present no issue. Indeed with the fast-charging option using an ultra-fast network which are growing around the country daily, 80 percent of the vehicle’s charge is reached in just 30 minutes, or a full charge in only 45 minutes.

Use the 11kW AC home charging option and the Audi e-tron 55 models can be charged from empty to full charge in 8.5 hours, or six hours for the e-tron 50 variants. 

For at home charging, the Audi e-tron offers a comprehensive ‘home check’ consultation and installation process in partnership with Audi Australia’s preferred supplier, JETCharge, and customers will also be covered on the ever expanding national system as part of their Audi e-tron ownership.

Indeed, as part of the ownership experience, Audi Australia will offer all e-tron vehicles with a six-year subscription to the ChargeFox ultra-rapid charging network which boasts more than 1100 plugs nationally, all of which are supplied with 100 percent green power. 

In addition, all e-tron vehicles will come with servicing and roadside assistance for the first six years of ownership (including an e-tron loan car while in service) as well as an eight-year/160,000km drivetrain warranty. 

The idea from the start is of course to make ownership as simple and intuitive as possible and allow customers to get out and enjoy their e-tron without complications. With charging ports on both the driver’s side (AC and DC) or AC on the passenger’s side, how you charge your e-tron at home, at the office or on the go should be as seamless as possible.  

Much of what the Audi e-tron models have to offer is well known to those familiar with the Audi brand. Superbly finished interiors that have long set the standard in the luxury ranks and unerring attention to detail that sets the brand apart.

Think Milano leather seat upholstery and dual zone climate control and front-seat heating as well as the Audi virtual cockpit, dual MMI touch response touchscreens, Audi smartphone interface with Android Auto and Wireless Apple CarPlay integration and wireless charging. The MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch response incorporates the full suite of Audi connect plus functions, with extended features for the e-tron and the MMI system calculates if charging is required on longer journeys, taking into account live traffic, and where along the journey that charging should take place. 

What’s not so familiar are items like the optional virtual exterior mirrors – the first time such technology has been offered on a passenger car in Australia (or globally for that matter). Quite aside from their arresting design and aerodynamic effect, these mirrors project real images onto a screen inside the vehicle at the base of the A-pillar, which gives a clearer picture of what’s going on than conventional mirrors in all weather and light conditions.  

Safety is also state-of-the art, with all of the safety and driver assistance systems you would expect from Audi present in the all-electric models. No less than eight airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, 360-degree cameras, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic assist, intersection assist, collision avoidance assist, turn assist, exit warning – the list is impressive.

In addition, as part of the launch for the e-tron 55 quattro vehicles, Audi Australia will offer a special First Edition in both body styles – the e-tron 55 quattro First Edition at $159,600* and the e-tron Sportback 55 quattro First Edition at $169,950*. Strictly limited to 70 units, these special editions sport a raft of equipment including the virtual exterior mirrors, 21-inch alloy wheels, e-tron orange brake calipers, Matrix LED headlights, black exterior styling elements. Inside features like the head-up display, 705W Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, S sport front seats and interior highlights and four-zone climate control make for an exceptional interior experience.

The technology employed in the e-tron quattro models is absolutely cutting edge, but the beauty of it remains in the fact that it is implemented in such a way as to go largely unnoticed. The style, luxury appointment and equipment is all familiar Audi, and the seamless charging at home and on the road, while completely new in Australia, is also all Audi. And that is something that may take some time to fully appreciate. Familiar though they are in so many respects, the Audi e-tron models represent an exciting new age of mobility. Cutting-edge drive systems and performance meet time honoured luxury, ride and refinement.

Learn more about the Audi e-tron models

 (*Manufacturer List Pricing [MLP] – excludes dealer delivery and government statutory charges)