Debut scheduled for August 30.
In a bit more than three months time from now, we will finally see the final version of Audi’s first-ever production electric crossover. The Tesla Model X-rivalling E-Tron SUV will be revealed on August 30, and a fresh set of spy photos shows the engineers are putting the finishing touches of the vehicle.
Our talented spy photographers have sent us this batch of shots with a near production prototype of the EV, undergoing testing in southern Germany. Only a thin layer of camouflage, very similar to the disguise the E-Tron prototype from March this year used, is covering what is likely the last version of the body. The only detail that’s still shrouded in mystery is the rear lighting cluster, which appears to be a large single LED bar with two LED taillights.
Under the clothes will be an electric propulsion, which will produce somewhere in the region of 435 horsepower (320 kilowatts), and even 503 hp (379 kW) during a temporary power boost. What’s more important, the vehicle will be able to travel up to 248.5 miles (400 kilometers) at a single charge, measured by the new Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), which gives more realistic range figures than the optimistic NEDC.
Using a high-power charging station, the 95-kilowatthour lithium-ion battery, mounted within the car’s floor, can be recharged for just 30 minutes. If a 400-volt three-phase outlet is used, the charging time increases significantly to about eight and a half hours.
The crossover will be joined by a more stylish Sportback variant next year, and Audi wants to add a third EV member shortly after with the launch of a purely electric sedan. It will reportedly borrow the underpinnings of the production Porsche Mission E and will feature a four-door sedan body. By the middle of the next decade, the German automaker wants to sell no less than 800,000 electrified vehicles per year.
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Photos: Automedia