Audi unveils new e-tron Sportback with ~300 miles of range, production starts in 2019

After teasing the vehicle yesterday, Audi has officially unveiled its new electric vehicle concept, the e-tron Sportback, at the Auto Shanghai 2017 today.

As we expected, the German automaker confirmed that the vehicle will serve as the basis for its second all-electric vehicle to go to production after the quattro e-tron. Audi says that the new electric coupé crossover will hit the market as soon as 2019 – about a year after the quattro.

Audi confirmed a few specs for the vehicle. It will be equipped with a 320 kW motor – though they say that a “boost mode” will enable a power capacity of 370 kW, which will allow a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 4.5 seconds.

A 95 kWh battery pack will feed this motor and Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, claimed “a range of over 500 kilometers (310.7 miles)”:

“Our Audi e-tron will be starting out in 2018 – the first electric car in its competitive field that is fit for everyday use. With a range of over 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) and the special electric driving experience, we will make this sporty SUV the must-have product of the next decade. Following close on its heels, in 2019, comes the production version of the Audi e-tron Sportback – an emotional coupé version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance.”

As usual, Audi being based in Germany generally uses NEDC rating for electric vehicle range and therefore, we expect real-world range or the EPA estimate to be closer to ~275 miles. The vehicle will also be offered in a configuration with extra motors for all-wheel drive, like the e-tron quattro.

For now, they unveiled a prototype with a ‘Lux Silver’ paint job. Here are a few pictures:

They packed the interior with a lot of screen real-estate:

“In its consciously light-colored interior the Audi e-tron Sportback concept offers a blend of functional clarity and reductive controls as a formal principle. Expansive touch-sensitive screens below the central display, on the center console and in the door trims supply information and interact with the on-board systems. Horizontal surfaces on the dashboard and the seemingly floating center console convey a sense of open perspectives for the occupants of the four individual seats.

https://youtu.be/XvWZGug28g0