Tesla->ke1842 is dominating the electric market and Audi->ke14 doesn’t enjoy that. With a huge internal development push to create viable alternative-fuel vehicles with the TDI diesel, H-Tron and the E-Tron electric programs, the German company is getting ready to tackle the mainstream with a whole portfolio of products. According to Bloomberg, Audi is going to tackle the upper-class EV market with an E-Tron branded electric crossover designed to tackle Elon Musk’s new Tesla Model X. The goal is to have this car on the market in just two years for the 2017 model year.
Audi also plans on offering an electrified version of the R8->ke1440 supercar->ke177 next year, and the plug-in hybrid A3 E-Tron->ke288 should start deliveries soon. Tesla has proved that buyers are willing to invest in high-quality electric automobiles, and this will soon be the next big sector of market growth. If Audi can get the new E-Tron crossover->ke288 out the door before Tesla releases the Model X, it will reap the benefits of a completely untapped market.
With Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, chasing the goal of being the largest auto maker in the world, tapping into new markets and pushing new technology is a smart and aggressive strategy. If you are a fan of electric or other alternative-fuel vehicles, things are going to get very exciting very soon.
Click past the jump to read more about the future Audi electric SUV.
Why it matters
Electric cars->ke1030 are the future. There is no skirting around the fact that we are moving away from oil-based fuels to power the world’s transportation infrastructure. Any company that refuses to innovate and play in this market is destined to fail. Having Audi jump in will full force before most of its rivals speaks to a brand and a company that understands the future and wants to help shape it.
In the next three years, Audi will introduce three new electrified versions of its cars from low-level people movers like the A3 to the top echelon of sports cars with the R8. The world is moving and changing rapidly, and Audi isn’t just sitting around waiting for that change to engulf it.
Audi R8 E-tron
The Audi R8 E-Tron will be a new electric version of the venerable mid-engine supercar. This machine will see the standard car drop its V-8 and V-10 engine options in favor of a collection of four electric motors and a pile of batteries. Despite dropping the petrol burner, the R8 E-Tron is not slow. With four electric motors to create an AWD system, the car can independently power each wheel to dramatically enhance handling. Horsepower is modest with just 375 ponies, but torque sits at 605 pound-feet for extreme pulling power. From a dead stop, 60 mph shows up in about four seconds. Not bad for a car running on laptop batteries.