Audi is one of the few legacy auto manufacturers taking electric cars seriously. They released an all-electric SUV, the E-Tron, earlier this year, they showcased their electric future in a Super Bowl commercial, and have even recently started a nationwide electric car advertising campaign. It is certain that the company is committed to the adaptation of electric vehicles and the E-Tron GT is next.
Audi is owned by the Volkswagen Group who has pledged to produce 1 million electric cars annually by 2025 between all of their brands. The expect an electric variant of each and every model available by 2030. The conglomerate is even expected to invest almost ten times more into electrification than the current industry leader, Tesla.
The Audi E-Tron took the limelight for a while as it was the companies introduction into this new age market. While it still remains in headlines, this electric car is already here and available for purchase. The show goes on and we now look forward to what is next for the company, an electric sports car.
We first saw the Audi E-Tron GT last year during its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It is expected to be a 4-door electric coupe with specs comparable to nearly all other sports cars on the market. The E-Tron GT will share a similar platform and components with the highly anticipated Porsche Taycan.
Audi reveled these specs alongside the concept version:
- 90 kWh battery
- 400 km (approximately 248.5 miles) of range (WLTP)
- 434 kW (590 horsepower)
- 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in about 3.5 seconds
- 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in over 12 seconds
- top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph)
- 800 V battery system voltage
- fast charging: 0-80% in 20-minutes
- wireless charging at 11 kW (on-board charger is at least 11 kW)
Whether the specs remain the same for the production version remains up in the air but they do seem very close to the recently confirmed Porsche Taycan specs.
Now, Audi has confirmed that the E-Tron GT will be produced alongside the infamous Audi R8 in their Böllinger Höfe plant in Germany. The company will be upgrading the site and adding 10,000 m² just to handle the production and demand of this electric car. This is something we also saw Porsche do earlier this year. Being Audi’s featured car, the Audi R8 is currently almost entirely hand made. The E-Tron GT on the other hand is expected to be produced on a highly automated production line in order to reach its much higher expected volume. This potential Tesla Killer is set to begin production in 2020.
We expect both the Audi E-Tron GT and the Porsche Taycan to go head to head with the Tesla Model S in both performance and price. While Tesla might have the upper hand in experience and performance, the Volkswagen Group has brand recognition and a dealer network in place.
We look forward to what Audi and the VW Group bring to the table. Audi has also recently revealed an electric Q4 concept that could make its way into production next year. Clearly, things are heading in the right direction.
