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254 'Audi' stories February 2015 - May 2016
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Italdesign’s stunning all-electric concept: GTZero [Gallery]

Avatar for Fred Lambert May 25 2016 - 9:20 am PT
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Earlier this year, design and engineering firm Italdesign unveiled its latest creation: GTZero. We missed the original release, but as the company is letting more info on the concept, I think it’s worth taking a look.

The concept is designed on two different platforms: all-electric and plug-in hybrid. We will get into the electric platform, but first of, let’s take a look at the stunning design.

I know electric car enthusiasts are not really waiting for other entries in luxury segments, but it’s not like EVs represent anything close to a significant percentage of the luxury vehicles on the market and therefore, any new entrant is good for the industry. As a Gran Turismo, the GTZero’s design goes a long way in helping electric vehicles dissociate themselves from the ‘weird-mobile’ look some automakers have been pushing. 
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Audi is reverse-engineering/benchmarking a Tesla Model X but doesn’t know how to charge it

Avatar for Fred Lambert Apr 19 2016 - 5:37 am PT
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Audi plans to release an all-electric luxury SUV, the e-tron quattro, in 2018. The vehicle is expected to become the first all-electric competitor to Tesla’s Model X. Earlier this year, we reported on one of the first Model X in Europe spotted near to Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt (pictures above), where the german automaker is believed to be reverse-engineering or benchmarking Tesla’s SUV – something it also did with the Model S.

Now a Model X reportedly driven by an Audi engineer has been spotted again over the weekend, but this time in a more interesting context.
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Audi’s EV Chief: “I hate to admit it, but Tesla did everything right”

Avatar for Fred Lambert Mar 24 2016 - 11:37 am PT
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Audi’s electric-mobility chief Stefan Niemand had surprising words of appreciation for Tesla at the recent Technical Congress of Germany’s automotive industry organization (VDA) (via EETimes). Niemand commented:

“I hate to admit it, but Tesla did everything right”

The executive was especially praising Tesla’s EV infrastructure strategy: the Supercharger network. He also made the comment not long after the first Tesla Model X in Europe was spotted near Audi’s headquarters.
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Audi gearing up for volume production of electric vehicles in Brussels

Avatar for Fred Lambert Jan 21 2016 - 11:47 am PT
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Audi sent out a press release yesterday to confirm that its upcoming all-electric SUV ‘e-tron quattro’ will be built in “large series production” at the company’s plant in Brussels starting in 2018. Surprisingly, Audi says the plant will also produce “its own batteries”, though without specifying if they are talking about battery packs or battery cells.
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The electric driving revolution isn’t impossible or likely, it’s inevitable – Audi President of America

Avatar for Fred Lambert Nov 19 2015 - 6:11 am PT
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Yesterday, Audi of America President Scott Keogh held a presentation at the LA Auto Show and he made some interesting comments about the brand’s effort in the electric vehicle space and the future of EVs in general.

Keogh said he expects Audi’s e-tron models, all-electric and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, will represent 25% of all the company’s sales over the next decade.
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In light of emission scandal, VW plans on making an EV push starting with an all-electric Phaeton

Avatar for Fred Lambert Oct 13 2015 - 11:24 am PT
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Volkswagen’s new board of management issued a new statement this morning highligting its new strategy to come out of the emission scandal. CEO Dr. Herbert Diess about the announcement:

“The Volkswagen brand is repositioning itself for the future. We are becoming more efficient, we are giving our product range and our core technologies a new focus, and we are creating room for forward-looking technologies by speeding up the efficiency program.”

On top of obviously changing its diesel strategy to now comply with American and European standards, the company plans on making significant investments in electric vehicles.
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Tesla Model X outdoes Audi’s upcoming “Tesla killer” prototype as the most aerodynamic SUV ever

Avatar for Fred Lambert Sep 30 2015 - 1:02 pm PT
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Earlier this month when Audi unveiled its all-electric SUV, the quattro, some media were quick to dub it a “Tesla killer”, but now that Tesla officially launched its own SUV, I think it’s clear that it was a premature assessment. The quattro is set to have a similar range as the Model X, ~250 EPA-rated miles, but Audi is aiming at releasing the quattro in 2018, while Tesla delivered the first few units yesterday and already has between 25,000 and 30,000 reservations for the all-electric SUV.
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Audi: the e-tron quattro will not be a compliance car

Avatar for Fred Lambert Sep 17 2015 - 5:30 am PT
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During an interview at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi of America President Scott Keogh confirmed that the company doesn’t plan to make the e-tron quattro a “compliance car”, but instead he sees a global market for the all-electric SUV.

“Our number one thing is not to build a compliance car but to build a cool, desirable car, because that’s what’s going to help our brand and our customers are going to like it,” Keogh said.
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Audi releases new renderings of the quattro ahead of IAA unveiling [image gallery]

Avatar for Fred Lambert Sep 14 2015 - 4:46 pm PT
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Last month we reported on Audi planning to unveil the quattro, a new SUV-crossover equipped with Audi’s all-electric e-tron drivetrain, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs from the 17th to 27th of September. Today the company released more advanced renderings of the concept ahead of the media launch expected tomorrow.
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Audi to unveil the all-electric “e-tron quattro concept” at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month

Avatar for Fred Lambert Aug 19 2015 - 8:19 pm PT
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Audi issued a press release today to announce that it will unveil the all-electric e-tron quatro concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month (IAA 2015 will run from September 17 to 27, 2015). Audi released some new information about the concept, which they expect to go on sale in 2018.

The company also released several new drawings of the quattro – see below.
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Audi’s R8 e-Tron will have a bigger battery (92kWh) than Tesla’s Model S (85kWh) but mostly a stunt

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Feb 26 2015 - 10:15 am PT
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Audi just announced some of its eTron R8 specs and detail nuts like me will note some pretty impressive numbers starting at the huge 92kWh battery that has 7kWh more storage than Tesla’s top end option. Tesla has said on numerous occasions that it *could* build a bigger more dense battery in the same space (perhaps as a later upgrade), but hasn’t because of cost constraints.

Also the e-Tron has a Drag coefficient of .28 — .04 higher than the Model S. It should be noted that the e-Tron is a theoretical sports car and the Model S is a 7 seat family sedan that has been on the road for almost 3 years. But Audi clearly is keeping a lot of the petrol edition’s drag-inducing air intakes for the electric edition.

That takes a toll on range with the Audi sports car tallying just under 280 mile range compared to the Model S 85D range of 285 miles. The e-Tron’s speed is also a bit behind Tesla with a reported 3.9 second 0-62 and top speed of 130. That’s almost a full second behind the P85D and 20 mph slower. Torque is also impressive, but still far behind Tesla.

On the other hand it looks like a sports car inside and out which will certainly appeal to some folks.

But for Tesla, this is a win. Audi’s just announced R8 doesn’t beat Tesla’s 3 year old Model S in any relevant space with speed or range and holds 5 fewer passengers.

Relevant from press release below:
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