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The new Audi e-tron Sportback – the brand’s second all-electric model – will be open for ordering in the UK early in 2020 ahead of first deliveries in the second quarter of the year, as part of a plan that will see 20 all-electric Audi models by 2025.
The new SUV coupé offers up to 300 kW of power, a WLTP range of up to 240 miles in UK specification, and digital matrix LED headlights which are available for the first time in a series-production vehicle.
In S line form, and equipped with the optional virtual exterior mirrors, the Audi e-tron Sportback achieves an outstanding drag coefficient value of just 0.25. In the WLTP cycle, the SUV coupé has a range of up to 240 miles on a single battery charge. Around 6 miles of the increased range versus the e-tron is due to the improved aerodynamics.
Each axle of the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro is fitted with an asynchronous electric motor that is fed with three-phase current by the power electronics. With an output of 265 kW and 561 Nm of torque, the two standard electric motors result in a 0-62mph time of 6.6 seconds and its top speed is electronically limited to 124mph.
By shifting from D to S and fully depressing the accelerator pedal, the driver can activate boost mode. Here, the drive generates 300 kW of output and 664 Nm of torque for eight seconds. This enables the SUV coupé to sprint from 0 to 62mph in 5.7 seconds.
Electric all-wheel drive continuously regulates the ideal drive torque distribution between both axles within fractions of a second. In most driving situations, the Audi e-tron Sportback relies exclusively on its rear electric motor but if the driver requests more output than it can provide, the front unit is instantly activated. This also happens predictively before slip occurs in icy conditions or when cornering fast, or if the car understeers or oversteers.
The sport adaptive air suspension with controlled dampers will be a standard feature of all UK e-tron Sportback models. At higher speeds, the body is lowered, improving airflow around it and extending the vehicle’s range. In total, the system is capable of varying the ride height by up to 76 millimetres.
The battery system of the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro stores 95 kWh of gross energy (86.5 kWh net) and operates at a rated voltage of 396 volts.
When braking from 62mph, the Audi e-tron Sportback can recuperate a maximum of 300 Nm and 220 kW. As with the e-tron SUV, this amounts to more than 70 percent of its output and more than any other production model. Overall, the SUV-coupé attains up to 30 percent of its range through recuperation.
The Audi e-tron Sportback 55 quattro can charge with direct current (DC) at up to 150 kW at fast-charging stations. In just under half an hour, the battery reaches 80 percent of its capacity.
Charging at public AC charging stations can be performed using a standard mode-3 cable. Up to 11 kW of power is available here, which can be increased to 22 kW with an optional second on-board charging device that will be available in summer 2020.
Audi’s own charging service, the e-tron Charging Service, provides easy access to more than 120,000 public charging points. It is currently available in 21 European countries, and will be rolled out in the UK towards the end of 2019. Whether AC or DC, 11 or 150 kW – a single card is all that is required to start the process.
The Plug & Charge function, which is also due to follow in 2020, will make charging even more convenient: the car authorises itself at the charging station and activates it.
