The E-Tron is Audi’s first electric vehicle, and looks like a conventional luxury SUV. It doesn’t consume fossil fuel and doesn’t have any tailpipe emissions. We love its smooth acceleration, vault-like quietness, plush ride, and impeccably luxurious cabin. However, it has a relatively short range when compared with its main competitors, the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X, and its long charging times keep it on a short leash. In addition, its typical $80,000 price tag means this advanced vehicle doesn’t come cheap, although its running costs are low.
The Audi has an EPA-rated range of 204 miles, and took us an agonizingly long 13 hours to fully charge the 95-kWh battery from about five percent charge on a 240-volt charger. DC fast chargers outlets, which aren’t widely available, can get the battery to 80-percent charge at a quicker rate, making long trips a bit more manageable.
Driving the E-Tron is a treat. Its electric motors silently propel the SUV forward in a smooth, dignified manner without the head-snapping lunge off the line we’ve experienced in some other electric vehicles.
But make no mistake, if a driver needs a quick getaway, a forceful push on the accelerator provides plenty of power from the electric motors immediate power.
The standard air suspension delivers a superb ride and masks every bump and dip in the road. In this regard, the E-Tron is far superior to the Jaguar and Tesla Model X. But this 5,800-pound luxury SUV doesn’t corner as nimbly as those rivals.
The cabin is extremely quiet, and the comfortable seats and high-quality, luxurious trim pamper passengers. It has a roomy rear seat and a roomy cargo area.
Although the two touch screens that house most of the controls may seem daunting at first, in reality it turns out that interacting with audio, phone, and navigation systems is quite logical. This is partly due to the screens haptic feedback, which provides a sensation of an actual button and thus confirms a choice. The gear selector might be a hurdle initially. While it’s a neat design element, it takes some time to get used to operating it.
The E-Tron has a finicky motorized door covering its charging port that doesn’t always open or close at the first push of the button.
Forward collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning (BSW), and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW) come standard. The driver assist features that give the E-Tron partial automation are optional, such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition.