The 2016 Paris Motor Show was a hotbed of unusually forward-thinking talk and actual show cars. Only this time, it was peppered with a larger-than-usual dose of realism and commitment.
Volkswagen debuted their ID concept which will be realised as their first vehicle in a brand new all-electric range. BMW had long hinted at their move toward electrification with the i sub-brand (i3, i8, and beyond).
Mercedes-Benz, too, followed VW’s theme of underlining their allegiance to an electric future with the EQ sub-brand with the Generation EQ which will also consist of pure EVs. And that kind of leaves out Audi from the most recent proceedings in Paris.
This is somewhat deliberate as they are owned by Volkswagen who wanted the focus to be on their ID concept and so pulled Audi from making an appearance. Cost was also a reason, as they German juggernaut is still tending to its wounds from last year’s Dieselgate emissions falsifying scandal.
However, it was revealed by Autocar UK that Audi will be unveiling a new fully electric SUV and that it will be plainly called the e-tron. Just a few days ago, it surfaced that they have killed off the R8 e-tron electric supercar, so it’s a little jarring to see the name revived so quickly and to anticipate a singular vehicle with that name.
It was suspected that Audi would brand fully electric versions of their upcoming cars as such, attaching the ‘e-tron’ moniker to its true name somehow. This, it turns out, is still the case but Audi chairman Rupert Stadler told the Autocar that the naming scheme would mirror how the Quattro name rose to prominence following an iconic vehicle bearing that handle.
“We will have models with the usual names, for example A6 e-tron, A7 e-tron, A8 e-tron and so on. We are presently experiencing an upward swing in the demand for such electric concepts, primarily in large megacities. They would be well suited with ranges of between 350 to 450 km. The subject of space is an important one. That means we’ll see compact electric cars, but with vastly improved interior design. Customers want ease of entry, a command seating position and the feeling of safety,” Stadler said.
After the e-tron SUV’s eventual introduction, Audi would presumably begin rolling out more fully electric models in various sizes and body styles, most likely borrowing technology and platforms from Volkswagen’s electric efforts.
Exactly when Audi’s new e-tron reach production and how faithfully will it remain to the rather fetching concept vehicle from 2015 remains to be seen.
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