Some EVs are less expensive than others but, as long as the battery technology remains as costly as it is, entering the EV scene is still a list-price-conscious activity. The Audi e-tron in 55 Quattro form you see here is priced at £68,020 (after the government grant is subtracted but prior to possible discounts being applied). The larger and more practical, if not quite as high quality, Tesla Model X, which Audi needs to topple, is £82,350. However, if you are tempted by the Audi, a Launch Edition version of e-tron is available for just £80 less than the Tesla. Coincidence? It may be.
Make no bones, with the London ULEZ now operational and set to expand by 2021, with many other UK major conurbations following suit and the government pushing the market, the EV sector is fast becoming a hot bed of hyperactivity. Yet, it is a nervous market, which should come as no surprise, especially when you are forced to accept that, while Tesla has been developing its recharging infrastructure furiously, Audi’s is virtually zero in the UK and is building slowly in its German domestic market. To be fair, the Ionity system to which Audi adheres has the potential to become much larger…but it is not available broadly at present.
Capable of a posted range of 249 miles, the 402bhp, 489lbs ft e-tron power unit, which drives all four wheels using dual electric motors, through a single-speed automatic transmission, is capable of despatching the 0-60mph sprint in around 5.4s, before reaching its restricted top speed of 124mph. Intriguingly, almost as if Audi is looking out for our best interests, you can only access its maximum potency for around eight seconds, although 335bhp of it is on-tap for about 60s. Driven at street legal speeds, the Audi tempers a modest 134bhp to your right foot, which does extend its battery life a wee bit.
Naturally, e-tron is as quiet as a churchyard to drive, with the exception of a teensy amount of tyre noise. The handling and roadholding envelope is very much an Audi remit and, despite the technological advancements, the e-tron feels pretty much the same as any other Audi in the A4/Q5 class. It rides sublimely well, grips like certain materials to a blanket and both stops and steers accurately.
While many of us have now experienced Audi’s clever digital dashboard, I would not give consideration to the digital door-mirrors, because I believe that however technically-advanced they might be, a camera and screen set-up is not a substitute for real mirrors. Avoid them like the plague! As to the e-tron’s interior, it is neat, stylish and every millimetre an Audi, which is a dependable safe ground.
