Audi e-tron Sportback Concept highlights electric capability of brand

By Matt De Prez
|
19 April 2017

Audi has showcased the all-electric e-tron Sportback Concept at the Shanghai motor show.

The car, which is set to go into production in 2019, can cover a range of 310 miles on a single charge and accelerate to 60MPH in just 4.5 seconds.

It represents an important milepost for Audi along the road to electric mobility.

Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi, said: “Our Audi e‑tron will be starting out in 2018 – the first electric car in its competitive field that is fit for everyday use. With a range of over 310 miles and the special electric driving experience, we will make this sporty SUV the must-have product of the next decade. Following close on its heels, in 2019, comes the production version of the Audi e‑tron Sportback – an emotional coupé version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance.”

The e‑tron Sportback uses a configuration that will also be adopted in future production Audi models with all-electric drive: One electric motor on the front axle and two on the rear power all four wheels.

As previously on the e‑tron quattro concept, the technology study’s liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is positioned between the axles below the passenger compartment. This installation position provides for a low centre of gravity and a balanced axle load distribution of 52:48 (front/rear), giving enhanced driving dynamics and driving safety.

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Author: Matt De Prez

Senior staff writer

matt.deprez@bauermedia.co.uk

Matt has been an automotive journalist for eight years. As senior staff writer he is responsible for the automotive content on Fleet News and also contributes to Automotive Management. Prior to this, Matt worked in the automotive industry for 10 years.

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Glyn Holloway - 19/04/2017 10:41

As a teenager in the 60's I raced slot cars, electric motored, and knew then then that the potential for road vehicles was enormous. We used to rewind the motors for torque or higher revving and fit more powerful magnets. As much as I love a petrol engine electric is the future. Graphene and it's derivatives will replace lithium ion and will be rechargable in, maybe seconds? I wish I was young enough to enjoy the future or wealthy enough to experience the present. I do have an E300 hybrid Merc though!
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Nigel Boyle - 19/04/2017 11:04

Roll over Tesla! We have suffered the poor American build quality over here through necessity, now with iPace and this Tesla will pushed back. Hopefully the iPace will be out first and we, in the UK, will start buying UK deigned and manufactured vehicles ahead of the German for a pleasant change! Either way the age of the serious electric car is coming fast. I remember having a demo delivered on a low loader as there would be no electricity left if it was driven to me! For too long manufactures have been hoodwinking us pretending that a few electric miles is all we need. No one will buy a PHEV with these cars competing!
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- Sage & Onion - 19/04/2017 19:38
  
  Yes! I too have had to have electric vehicles delivered on trailers or transporters because the charge will have run out! And we once had an electric van on demo that no-one was confident to take out into the streets of London because they saw a quarter of the charge get used just shunting it around the depot. However, I do think that PHEV's still have their place for long distance work or where charging points can't be guaranteed. Imagine an infrastructure though where battery technology would allow every lamppost to have a solar cell or a mini-wind turbine to charge and store energy into a battery cell than can then be transferred to charge a vehicle.
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