What's this then?
This is the Audi e-tron, the German car maker's first all-electric model, and a major rival for the likes of the Tesla Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace. The e-tron is a mid-sized SUV, roughly half way in size between the Audi Q5 and Q8, and it's powered only by batteries.
A huge 95kWh battery to be precise, which drives two electric motors - one for each axle - giving the e-tron 407hp. In Dynamic mode it can sprint from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds and will run on to a limited top speed of 124mph. In Comfort or Eco modes the power output is reduced, as is the acceleration, in order to preserve the range.
The crucial question, of course, is that range. Audi claims that you can manage 250 miles between charge ups, thank in particular to a clever brake-by-wire braking system that can top up the range by as much as 30 per cent. Audi's engineers told us that, unless you're really putting the pedal to the metal, you should easily be able to top 220 miles in daily driving.
Inside, the e-tron has a cabin similar in layout to the Audi A7 and the Q8, with two big touchscreens taking care of most of the controls, along with the all-digital Virtual Cockpit instrument layout. Adaptive air suspension will be available, and the e-tron will get Audi's clever new rear-facing camera system. This replaces traditional door mirrors with small, more aerodynamic cameras that project their image onto hi-def OLED screens mounted to the inside of the doors. They help give the e-tron a class-leading aerodynamic coefficient of drag figure of just 0.27.
Sales of the Audi e-tron start at the end of this year. Expect prices to start from around £70,000 before electric vehicle grants and rebates.
Neil Briscoe - 18 Sep 2018