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Audi e-tron quattro electric SUV will have a ‘boost mode’ to unleash full power for short outbursts

Audi keeps releasing more details about the upcoming e-tron quattro electric SUV, the German automaker’s first next-generation all-electric vehicle.

Today, we take a look at the dual motor drivetrain powering the vehicle as Audi reveals that it will have a ‘boost mode’ to unleash the full power for short outbursts.

Audi went with two asynchronous electric motors, which it says are rated for an “output of 265 kW and develop 561 Nm (413.8 lb-ft) of torque.”

The German automaker says that the e-tron quattro can maintain peak power for up to 60 seconds and do several launches without power losses, which is something that electric vehicle manufacturers have programmed into their vehicles in order to protect the powertrain.

For the e-tron quattro, it limits the top speed to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) under that mode:

“This way, they allow the vehicle to accelerate from a standstill to the electronically limited top speed of 200 km/h (124.3 mph) several times consecutively without output losses.”

In order to get even more power, Audi developed a boost mode that pushes the motors to deliver 300 kW for short outbursts of 8 seconds:

“By shifting from drive range D to S and fully depressing the right-hand pedal, the driver can activate boost mode. It is available for eight seconds. Here, the drive produces 300 kW of system output and 664 Nm (489.7 lb-ft) of torque.”

They say that the Audi e-tron prototype can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in “less than six seconds” under boost mode.

The concept is reminiscent of how Tesla only enables the full power out of its vehicles with ‘Ludicrous mode’ by activating ‘launch mode’ and launching from a standstill as described by Audi above.

Though to be fair, the difference is that a Model X is going to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in about half that time under the launch mode: 3.1 seconds.

As previously mentioned, Audi has been gradually releasing more information about the e-tron quattro leading to the unveiling of the production version next month in San Francisco and it should enter production by the end of the year.

Yesterday, it was about regenerative braking, which Audi says boosts the range of the electric SUV by 30%.

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Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

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