Audi’s upcoming electric SUV, the e-tron, will have 408bhp and a range just shy of 250 miles.
That power output will be enough to sling the car from 0-62mph in less than six seconds. That’s slower than some of rival Tesla’s electric cars but faster than the vast majority of internal combustion engine cars on the market.
The e-tron will be powered by two electric motors which in normal conditions will have a peak output of 265kW, equivalent to 360hp, alongside 561Nm of torque.
However a boost mode, activated by shifting a drive mode selector in the cockpit and fully depressing the accelerator pedal, will allow the car to produce 300kW (408hp) and 600Nm for eight seconds.
Another key figure is a potential range of 248 miles before recharging, measured on the new “real-world”WLTP cycle, and aided by new energy recuperation technology.
Audi displayed the e-tron’s regenerative technology on Colorado’s Pikes Peak. Over the course of a 31km descent the electric Audi gained enough charge to cover that distance again on flat ground.
The recuperation system contributes up to 30% of the e-tron’s range, making use of both electric motors and an electrohydraulically integrated brake control system. An innovation in the car is to combine three different recuperation modes: manually while coasting through shift paddles on the steering wheel, automatic coasting and through energy produced by braking.
The whole shebang is integrated, with the car’s systems deciding whether to use the electric motor, the brakes or a combination of both for deceleration, with the driver not noticing the switch from one to the other.
The e-tron will join the Tesla Model S and Jaguar I-Pace in the small but growing luxury electric SUV sector when it goes on sale next year.
No prices have been released yet but expect it to cost at least as much as the I-Pace, which starts around £60,000.