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The valves of high-end electric cars are starting to open.
Last month, Audi hosted a bay-side party north of San Francisco to unveil the $ 75,000 e-tron, a $ 75,000 SUV that soon arrives after Jaguar's $ 70,000 I-PACE.
Together, the two new vehicles represent the first real challenge of Tesla, which is virtually alone in the market of high-end electric vehicles with its model S (US $ 100,000), but is currently facing production delays with its model from the entry level 3 the reputation of its volatile general manager Elon Musk.
The resolutely traditional machine of the German company plunges into a market of electric vehicles which represents only 1% of sales of new cars. But e-tron is a cover against what experts predict is a lucrative segment as consumer acceptance grows and electric vehicle charging stations multiply.
"The high-end electric vehicle race is about to become interesting," said Karl Brauer, executive editor of Cox Automotive, noting that 10 new players are expected to enter the electric car market over the next two years, builders are aware of the market created by Tesla.
"The (e-tron) has standard Audi design signals, which means nice interior and exterior performance," he said. "For skeptics with regard to electric vehicles, many of which remain, the e-tron will constitute an important threshold on the way to a widespread adoption of electric vehicles."
PROTOTYPE RAKISH
Audi is now accepting reservations for the e-tron and is expected to start shipping cars from its new manufacturing plant in Brussels in the second quarter of 2019. Its arrival comes just a few weeks after the automaker removed the hood. a giant car at the Pebble prototype. Elegance contest at the beach.
Dubbed PB 18 e-tron, this sports car is another challenge to Tesla, which is updating its two-door Roadster coupe. Audi also plans to unveil the e-tron GT concept, which appears to be a direct competitor of the Model S, at the Los Angeles auto show in November.
Like other electric vehicles, the Audi SUV e-tron is powered by two front and rear electric motors, while its 95-kilowatt / hour lithium-ion batteries are lined up on the floor of the car.
But look inside and you will see a luxurious and standard German sport. What is the point. That's Audi's black bread, with nearly 53% of US sales being made with SUVs.
"It's a complete Audi, backed by a network of hundreds of dealers and a company that's been around for over 100 years," Scott Keogh, president of Audi, told TODAY USA. of America.
"Tesla deserves considerable credit.By avoiding moving electric vehicles instead of being cars for an unusual market, they have moved on to luxury," Keogh said. "Our message to those considering an electric car is simply that we want our day in court."
Soon, other builders will be too. In fact, Porsche, the brother of the VW group, is about to unveil its premium Taycan sedan next year. Audi and Porsche are collaborating on a series of platforms that will allow both companies to electrify a wide range of models by 2025.
Notably, neither Audi nor Jaguar have decided to tackle Tesla directly, abandoning a sedan design and turning rather directly to the increasingly sophisticated market of mid-size SUVs.
Where I-PACE has a crossover feel, Audi's mission with the e-tron is to offer consumers a car that resembles its Q7 luxury or new Q8 SUV, but with 'an electric powertrain. In other words: do not shock the customer too much.
Watching the e-tron, it's contemplate a vehicle that looks pretty much like any other SUV on the road. What is the point.
It has a traditional shape reminiscent of its petrol counterparts in the Audi family and is almost as big as the high-end Q8 SUV. E-tron offers five seating positions, a respectable 57 cubic foot cargo area, all-wheel drive and a towing capacity of 4,000 pounds.
While Audi does not say what is the electrical reach of the e-tron, it can be assumed that it lies somewhere north of 200 miles. Audi says that with a fast charger, an empty e-tron will reach 80% of the battery's capacity in 30 minutes.
One of the reasons why Audi is the key word for mileage, it's because it's not necessarily a car for day-trippers, but for football fathers and dads with a list travel and shopping on the itinerary of the day.
"Think of it this way: it's good to know that every morning you know that your tank is full," says Keogh, evoking distance-related anxiety, long the scourge of vehicle market specialists electric.
INFORMATIVE SYSTEM
For home charging, Audi Home Charging will be provided by Amazon, along with the initial price and installation of a "pump" charging in your home, Audi announced during the event. Alexa will also be inside Audi as part of the infotainment system.
The e-tron's entry-level does not feel as entry-level. For $ 74,800, it comes with 20-inch wheels, a panoramic camera system, indoor and outdoor LED lighting, a Bang and Olufsen audio system, heated air-conditioned seats and a panoramic roof.
Upgrade the Prestige model to 81,800 USD and the Premium Plus package includes a head-up projection screen for speed and other information, a driver assistance kit, massage seats and a leather interior.
And the $ 86,700 first-edition package includes 21-inch wheels, Daytona Gray pearlescent paint, orange brake calipers, and black leather with gray stitching.
Unfortunately, US buyers of the e-tron will not receive a touch of high technology that has until now been legal only in Europe.
These are the mirrors of the car, which, on the Euro model, consist of small rear-facing reversing cameras that project the image from the rear of the vehicle onto small OLED screens located on the driver's and passenger's doors.
We recover the mirrors from the old school until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decides that the cameras and screens are safe.
So, for now, we will have to settle for the rest of the deliberately conformist e-tron, which, if successful, has the potential to revolutionize the electric vehicle landscape.
– Contributed
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