Pathway to production – e-mobility at Audi

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04/18/2017
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Audi has already been developing models with all-electric or hybrid drive since the late 1980s. The first production offering of a car combining a combustion engine with an electric motor was the Audi duo from 1997, which occupied the body of an Audi A4 Avant. A landmark technological development for electric cars was the Audi R8 e-tron, which was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and in 2012 set a record lap time for an electric car on the North Loop of the Nürburg Ring.

Audi added a first plug-in hybrid to its range in 2014 in the guise of the 150 kW (204 hp) Audi A3 e-tron – its battery units can be recharged by recuperation and cable, and give it an all-electric range of up to 50 kilometers in the NEDC. The Audi Q7 e-tron made its debut in 2016 – it is powered by a combination of a 3.0 TDI and an electric motor which together deliver 275 kW (373 hp) and 700 Nm (516.3 lb ft) of torque. 

It accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 6.2 seconds and is particularly efficient. In all-electric mode, it has a range of up to 56 kilometers (34.8 miles) while producing zero local emissions. It is also the world’s first plug-in hybrid with a V6 compression ignition engine and quattro drive.

Another concept car unveiled by Audi in 2015, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, was the study vehicle called the e-tron quattro concept – the forerunner of the brand’s first all-electric-drive production automobile. As a radically reconfigured SUV it offers a range of up to 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) with the spaciousness and comfort of a typical full-size automobile from Audi. It has the road performance of a high-performance sports car – the e-tron quattro sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in only 4.6 seconds.

The production version of this pioneering electric SUV will appear on the market in 2018. The Audi e-tron Sportback concept will be followed by its production version in 2019.


The equipment, data and prices specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.