In an attempt to make the Audi e-tron more accessible, Audi has unveiled the e-tron 50 with a smaller battery, lesser power and lesser range too.
Audi has unveiled a new entry-level variant of the e-tron electric SUV. The e-tron 50 as its called is about 120 kg lighter than the e-tron 55 and is cheaper than the latter as well. This weight saving primarily comes due to the usage of a smaller battery pack. The Audi e-tron 50 is scheduled to be launched in 2020 in international markets.
The Audi e-tron 50 comes with a 71kWh battery pack which will offer a range of up to 300km on the WLTP test cycle. That’s about 100km lesser than what is offered by the 95kWh battery pack on the e-tron 55. Also, this is the lowest-capacity battery Audi is likely to offer in the e-tron SUV. With a smaller battery, the e-tron is now less powerful than before. While it uses the same twin-motor setup, power is now down from 408hp to 312hp and maximum torque is down from 664Nm to 540Nm.
The Mercedes Benz EQC, which the e-tron’s main rival, on the other hand comes in only one standard variant with a WLTP-certified range of 417km. As for charging, the e-tron 50 is compatible with only 120kW chargers whereas the e-tron 55 can take up to 150kW. However, charging time remains relatively the same with 80% charge achieved in approximately half an hour at a rapid-charging station.
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The e-tron sprints from 0-100 kph in 7.0 seconds and has a top speed electronically limited to 190 kph. It also comes with regenerative braking technology which recuperates energy in more than 90 percent of brake applications, working alongside an electro-hydraulic brake-assistance system that activates when braking force exceeds 0.3g.
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Audi isn’t the only manufacturer having different battery packs for the same car. Tesla does it too and Volkswagen will be offering the ID 3 hatchback with three different battery sizes with varying ranges. The Audi e-tron is scheduled to be launched later this year. However, its still unclear as to which version of the e-tron will Audi bring to India.
