A recent press release from Audi reveals that the Audi e-Tron Sportback is set to begin production in 2018. Following the e-Tron Quattro, this vehicle will be called the e-Tron Sportback and will have a more sloped and sporty profile than the e-Tron Quattro. It is a 4 door SUV that is set to take on the Tesla Model X in the premium EV market.
The e-Tron will be produced in Audi’s Belgium plant in Brussels in 2019. Slightly confusing, in the press release Audi says first electric SUV will roll off the assembly line in 2018 – perhaps they mean that production will start in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
The 2019 Audi e-Tron Sportback will have a 95 kWh lithium ion battery pack that powers a 430 horsepower electric motor. The 0-62 mph time will be around 4.5 seconds, and the vehicle should have a total range of around 250 miles.
There is no pricing available yet, but this is a premium SUV so expect the pricing to be premium as well.
Full press release:
Second electric car for Audi’s production network
Production of the Audi e-tron Sportback to start at the Brussels plant in 2019
Audi is expanding its model portfolio with a new e-tron-model. Production of the Audi e-tron Sportback will start at Audi Brussels (Belgium) in 2019. That Audi plant will therefore be responsible for producing a second fully electric model. The Audi e-tron electric SUV will drive off the assembly line there as of 2018.
In addition to the Audi e-tron, the brand is integrating a second, completely new electric car into its existing production network – the Audi e-tron Sportback – and is thus enhancing its competitiveness in this important future segment. “With the decision on the Audi e-tron Sportback, we are showing that Audi takes the issue of electric mobility seriously. A second battery-electric model will lead to optimal capacity utilization at our plant in Brussels,” stated Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl, Member of the Board of Management for Production and Logistics at AUDI AG.The basis for the new e-automobile is the Audi e-tron Sportback concept design study, which the company unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2017. This versatile concept car is a four-door gran turismo with 320-kilowatt electric drive. The coupe’s design language combines Audi elements with groundbreaking details. The technology and package of the electric drive are tailored to fit the car’s architecture.
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