Audi E-Tron SUV Has Two Power Outputs, 408 Hp For 8-Second Boost

As part of the build-up of information-series for Audi’s first all-electric vehicle, dubbed the e-tron, Audi has finally shared key performance figures of the new ground-breaking SUV.   

The e-tron, with a motor placed in each axle, will have access to two combined power outputs, depending on the drive mode. When the shift lever is left at ‘D’, the front and rear motors provide a combined output of 265 kW or 360 hp and develop 561 Nm of torque. The new electric quattro all-wheel drive helps provide exceptional control and confidence in a variety of driving conditions.

Moving the shift lever to ‘S’, the driver engages ‘Boost’ mode. Only available for eight seconds, the dual motors will extract full energy from the batteries and motors to deliver a combined system output of 300 kW or 408 hp and 664 Nm of torque.

The eight seconds ‘Boost’ will just be sufficient for drivers to validate the zero-to-hundred benchmark time, as the Audi e-tron is expected to set a time of under six seconds. Top speed, in either drive mode, is limited to 200 km/h.

Located in the vehicle floor, in between the 2,928 mm wheelbase, the large lithium-ion battery pack stores the 95 kWh of energy to provide a range of over 400 kilometres in the realistic WLTP test cycle.

The large traction battery is capable of recharging to full capacity within 30 minutes through a new 150 kW high-power charging (HPC) station. Smaller home chargers with 11 kW and 400-volt three-phase equipment require approximately 8.5 hours for the big battery pack to be fully charged.

Audi e-tron also has a very powerful regeneration/recuperation system. The prototype vehicle recuperates energy with up to 300 Nm of torque and 220 kW of electric power- more than 70 percent of its operating energy input that no other manufacturer has achieved.

To prove the recuperation system’s capabilities, Audi trialled e-tron prototypes at the relatively high altitude of Pikes Peak, USA. On its 31 kilometre downhill drive, descending a total of 1,900 metres of vertical height, the Audi e-tron generated so much regenerative energy that is able to cover approximately the same distance again! (travelled 31 km, range gained 31 km).

The recuperation system contributes up to 30 percent of the electric SUV’s range. Drivers have a choice to change the degree of coasting recuperation in three stages using the steering wheel paddles.

In the highest recuperation setting, where the deceleration force is up to 0.3G, the driver can slow down and accelerate using only the accelerator pedal, creating the sensation of driving with only one pedal. Sounds familiar? The one-pedal driving in a fully-electric vehicle first debuted in the second generation Nissan Leaf.  

Audi is set to remove the promotional camouflage and unveil the production model of the e-tron fully-electric SUV in mid-September. The tiny virtual side mirrors that offer a low aerodynamic-drag solution will also make it into production, with images from the tiny cameras projected onto the front door panels.