2018 launch Audi E-tron BESUV. Official thread?

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edatoakrun

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Audi has the habit of calling every BEV and PHEV, prototype or production "E-tron", but the gallery at the link below shows camo photos of the first production BEV Audi will offer, about one year from now:
Electric Audi E-tron SUV to race Jaguar I-Pace to market

On-road development is well under way for Audi’s first EV SUV, which is due on sale next year with a 310-mile range



Audi is racing to get its E-tron SUV to market ahead of the Jaguar I-Pace in a bid to secure the title of the first premium electric SUV.

Spotted on the continent wearing full-body camouflage, the SUV’s all-electric drivetrain is signalled by its lack of tailpipes.

The car’s design looks to have been toned down compared with the E-tron Quattro concept (see gallery)...

A senior Audi executive previously told Autocar that beating the I-Pace to market would make it the “first real premium manufacturer doing a premium electric SUV”. This title could be important in kick-starting sales.

The E-tron, predicted to have a range of at least 500km (311 miles), is built on a development of the electrified platform Porsche is using for its Mission E electric saloon. It is powered by three electric motors, two of which drive the rear wheels while one powers the fronts.

This set-up was seen in the E-tron quattro concept of 2015, which offered maximum combined outputs of 496bhp and 590lb ft. It enabled a 0-62mph time of 4.5sec and a restricted top speed of 131mph – previewing what’s to come with the production model.

This set-up will also be used in a second all-electric SUV model, which itself was previewed by the E-tron Sportback concept shown at this year’s Shanghai motor show. It features a more swept-back design and will make it to market one year after its sibling.

Audi has previously said that the E-tron SUV will “cost about the same as a well-specced Audi A6”, suggesting it will have a price point of at least £60,000. The second SUV may top that figure.

2018 launch

Audi sales and marketing boss Dietmar Voggenreiter said that Audi has chosen to launch the E-tron next year because that is when battery technology will be mature enough to offer a range of more than 500km (311 miles). This figure is “crucial”, he said, because consumers won’t accept less...
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/electric-audi-e-tron-suv-race-jaguar-i-pace-market

I'm more interested in the I-PACE myself, based both on the indications of a lower price, and my own ownership (of ancient models) from both Marques.

Jaguar I-PACE BESUV available 2018
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22545
 
Via GCR:
Audi details battery for 2019 e-tron electric SUV
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1116347_audi-details-battery-for-2019-e-tron-electric-suv

. . . For its first mass-produced battery-electric pack, Audi designed a flat sandwich of 432 cells that live under the 2019 e-tron’s floor, between its front and rear axles and electric motors. (The e-tron, for reference, sits between the current Q5 and Q7 SUVs in size.) Thirty-five bolts connect the battery box to the body.

The battery pack measures 5.3 feet wide, 13.4 inches high, and 7.5 feet long, roughly the size of a queen bed. The mostly flat pack has a higher section that sits under the e-tron’s rear seat, where Audi packages additional battery capacity. In all, the pack weighs some 715 kg, or more than 1,573 pounds.

In all, there are 36 battery modules in each pack, each about the size of a shoe box. In each module, Audi nestles 12 pouch-style 60-ah (3.5-volt) cells, for a total of 432 cells. Each of those cells is the size of a bag of coffee. Audi chose the flexible pouch-type cells over prismatic cells in the e-tron’s pack. Audi engineers say the pouch-type cells may cool a bit better than prismatic cells, which may package better. Otherwise, in cost and complexity, Audi says the cell types compete well on price, and that it will use both types in the future.

Audi has no EPA ratings on range yet, but the 95-kwh pack earns a WLTP test-cycle rating of 400 km, or 248.5 miles. . . .

If I've done the math correctly that works out to ~1257 liters, or an energy density of only 75.6 Wh/liter, and a specific energy of 133 Wh/kg. The specific energy is in the right ballpark (Bolt 140 Wh/kg; M3 (150Wh/kg), but the energy density is pretty low.
 
So this is on our radar now as a potential replacement for the C-Max Energi.

The Energi has convinced me I don’t want another parallel hybrid. Was hoping for the Voltec MPV5 to materialize, but it seems a no-show. When our Model 3 reservation came up to configure, my wife said she would drive the Bolt and I could have the M3. As bad as I want Supercharging, it won’t be at the expense of driving a sedan. No data on the Tesla Y yet except for the useless front selfie. I like the iPace, but my wife is not that jazzed with the design. When I showed her the picture of the (non-camouflage) eTron SUV, no hesitation;

“That thing is beautiful! That’s what I want.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjqGdwSy1Uc

Kinda big, and could do with 1 motor 2WD vs 3 motor AWD eating into the interior space, but I’ve almost given up on the “Murano BEV” target.
A lot yet to learn as it seems like every manufacturer has some kind of SUV/CUV BEV ready to launch in the next couple of years.

But definitely watching.
 
"The all-new fully electric 2019 Audi e-tron will finally be revealed, minus the camo. The automaker announced that the official premiere will be shared live at 5:30 AM CEST" (8:30pm PDT).

A183457_large.jpg


"While journalists and those invited to Audi’s special event will get to see the new electric vehicle on the evening of September 17, the automaker’s recent press release explains that a premiere will be broadcasted live via satellite over the internet and on smartTV. The official press release clarifies:

-on Audi MediaTV: http://www.audimedia.tv
(English, link provided for embedding the live stream in third-party websites)
-on the website of the event: http://www.e-tron.audi
-via satellite (English, Chinese)
-via smart TV using the Audi MediaTV app
-on the Audi MediaTV YouTube channel
-on the Facebook page of AUDI AG
Additionally, Audi will provide a summary of the reveal, along with more footage of the 2019 e-tron after the fact, at
http://www.audimedia.tv "

https://insideevs.com/audi-e-tron-teaser-ahead-of-debut/
 
It is pretty nice looking for a CUV. I find it interesting that you and your wife like them more than sedans. While you are certainly not alone, I much prefer the look of a sedan. For utility, though, there is no contest.

I think I can safely cross this off the list for replacing my CMax Energi, though. Being an Audi, it will be more than I want to spend on a vehicle. Good to see more coming, but I think I'll wait for a more affordable option. My CMax is a few years younger than yours and still running well, so I am in no rush to replace it.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
...Being an Audi, it will be more than I want to spend on a vehicle. Good to see more coming, but I think I'll wait for a more affordable option...

The e-Tron is significantly above our target cUv as well. FWD with a low(er) load floor would be better for us than AWD. We would likely choose the BEV version of the Murano, Equinox, Pilot, Escape, Journey, RAV4, Sorento, or Tiguan. Except that they don’t exist. AER on our C-Max is down to 11 miles. We are looking for what's next.
 
Not great news for the US market;

"Attempting to match Tesla's successful and overloaded reservation list, Audi dealers will not stock a single e-tron in their showrooms as the automaker begins selling its first battery-electric car.

That means nothing—no test drives, walkarounds, or buttocks in seats—until the first deliveries arrive by summer 2019. At that time, Audi will let dealers order demo cars but only allow them to stock inventory once reservations have been met, an Audi spokesman told C/D. "

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/audi-e-tron-no-dealerships

"The e-tron officially goes on sale in the U.S. in mid-2019, but if demand is high, delivers could start sometime in 2020 then. "

https://insideevs.com/audi-no-stock-e-tron-dealerships-special-order/

"Sales in North America will begin in the second-quarter of 2019, but with no dealer stock expected, we doubt the e-tron will sell in volume here."

https://insideevs.com/audi-10000-pre-orders-etron/

"Keogh said he expects customers could wait months or up to a year for delivery, depending on demand for the e-tron."

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1118998_want-an-audi-e-tron-quattro-electric-expect-to-wait
 
I looked at the car at the Orange County Auto show. It is priced like a base Tesla X. Very nice but Tesla has the Suprercharge network. Both are too much for me. I will stick with my Mercedes B250e
 
So much for scarcity. Audi had the eTron 55 quattro at the AltCar Expo in Santa Monica over the weekend. Per the Audi rep this is a Euro production build with US paint and mirrors. European models will have the gray plastic "allroad" lower body treatment that makes the car look longer. US models will paint match the rocker panels and fender flairs for a taller SUV look.

NLpAjb.jpg
 
Here’s where things get tricky. Audi acknowledged that the official numbers for range will be less than 248.5 miles – possibly around 230 to 240 miles. For an EV with a nominal 95-kWh pack, it’s becoming clear that the e-tron could be one of the least efficient of the new breed of long-range EVs. Our day of driving put the e-tron SUV’s efficiency at about two miles per kilowatt hour.

“I don’t think the customer cares about the absolute efficiency number,” said Matthew Mostafaei, Audi E-Tron vehicle manager. “There are a number of other factors that are more important.”

Mostafaei said that Audi responded to direct customer feedback that their priority is a normal-looking, upright SUV with optimal cargo capacity. Audi believes that the efficiency number is also less important than adding a relatively heavy safety cage and being very conservative with the amount of the battery’s capacity that’s used. It’s part of the same strategy to mainstream EVs. Using less of the battery’s energy (officially rated at 95 kWh) means that quick-charging happens faster because you are never cramming the last electrons into the pack. “It’s the fastest EV to 80 percent on the market,” said Mostafaei.

I asked him if he can live with a lower MPGe than what competitors offer and the potential negative reaction from EV enthusiasts. He replied, “I think we have to live with it if we are going to give a customer everything that the e-tron offers them.” Mostafaei told me that some of the auto journalists on the e-tron drive in Abu Dhabi could barely tell the difference from being in a Audi Q8 SUV with a gas engine and an e-tron with an electric motor. That, in a nutshell, was Audi’s goal – even if it means taking heat for a lower MPGe number. The e-tron is still a ton more efficient than a Q8-type vehicle.
Unless/until battery tech improves so that tapering isn't necessary and the full capacity can be used without damage, I think the brute force approach of over-sizing the pack and limiting usable capacity for both charge rate and longevity is a good idea for mainstream users, at least at the upper end of the market. I liked GM doing the same thing on the Gen 1 Volt for the same reason. Obviously, hauling a lot of extra weight around that isn't of any value (until the battery degrades) isn't ideal from an efficiency standpoint, but it means degradation range loss and best charging practices are two fewer things you have to try and educate ICE owners about while trying to get them to switch.
 
GRA said:
Unless/until battery tech improves so that tapering isn't necessary and the full capacity can be used without damage, I think the brute force approach of over-sizing the pack and limiting usable capacity for both charge rate and longevity is a good idea for mainstream users, at least at the upper end of the market. I liked GM doing the same thing on the Gen 1 Volt for the same reason. Obviously, hauling a lot of extra weight around that isn't of any value (until the battery degrades) isn't ideal from an efficiency standpoint, but it means degradation range loss and best charging practices are two fewer things you have to try and educate ICE owners about while trying to get them to switch.
As an example of how far away the general public is from early adopters when it comes to PEVs, see this article for the amount of education currently required:
This Contributor Rents Out A Whole Fleet Of EVs On Turo
https://insideevs.com/contributor-ev-owner-rents-electric-cars/

This information makes it more clear why people aren’t so sure about EVs and why some dealerships just won’t deal with them.

Back in January, I wrote an article about renting out a Fiat 500e on Turo. I said I had planned to start renting other EVs on turo and eventually return with my experiences on those. Well, it’s almost a year later and here we go. I have now been renting out a Chevy Volt, Prius Prime, BMW i3 Rex, and more recently a Tesla Model 3, in addition to the Fiat 500e. Each of these vehicles seem to have their own set of challenges renting them to the general public. But first, I want to talk about some of the issues that seem to span all of the vehicles. This has given me real insight as to why many salesmen at dealerships don’t like dealing with EVs. . . .
 
The Nitty Gritty Details On Audi’s Two-Pedal EV Braking System https://insideevs.com/audis-two-pedal-ev-braking-system/

"Balkcom told me, “If you really like the one-pedal thing, you can have it. But because we have a fully separated brake system, you don’t need one-pedal driving. Driving in the Automatic mode is the most efficient way to drive this car.” The Automatic mode also allows the car to read the terrain and other conditions to help determine the most efficient level of brake-regen level.

If you have the e-tron in the default Automatic efficiency mode, the use of paddle shifters for increased regen is temporary. As soon as you put your foot on the accelerator, the regen level is wiped clean, reverting to the lowest level. (It also times out after a few seconds to let the Automatic function do its thing)."

"Based on our time behind the wheel, the feeling of driving an e-tron is noticeably different than other EVs because you coast more. Unless you use the Manual mode and set higher regen, then there’s a very light touch to the pedals. “If you are using one-pedal driving, then have to push through with the accelerator when you don’t need to,” said Underberg. “That’s not as convenient (and comfortable) as you experience with the e-tron.”"

"By the way, there were some complaints about how the left steering-wheel paddle with the minus (-) sign increases the regen level – and the right side with the plus (+) sign provides a looser, lighter amount of regen. Is that counter-intuitive? "

What a mess...
 
KeiJidosha said:
"Sales in North America will begin in the second-quarter of 2019, but with no dealer stock expected, we doubt the e-tron will sell in volume here
No ... really ?!

In other news, the car price makes the Tesla Model 3 look inexpensive.
 
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