The Audi E-Tron SUV is expected to go on sale later this year. Earlier this week, spy shots of the highly camouflaged SUV were revealed, while it was undergoing test runs at the world famous Nürburgring. Surprisingly, the German marque released the drive range figures for the SUV, just to stimulate the auto world ahead of the E-Tron’s official release.
The announcement came in a unique manner. Audi attached a Faraday cage to the E-Tron prototype and drove it to the Siemens AG factory in Berlin. The SUV was then given an electric shock via a high-voltage lightning bolt, much to the surprise of the spectators. A few burn marks emblazoned the roof and in such a way Audi made the announcement, which was apparently unnecessary given that the company could have simply opted for a press release.
The new Audi E-Tron SUV, as per Audi’s claim, has a 400 kilometers range on a single charge. This figure is for the European market, which means the U.S rating will be announced soon. The SUV’s mileage is not very high compared to other EVs in the market but it makes up for the loss with a 30-minute charging time for its 95-kilowatt-hour battery. That will be possible using high-powered charging stations, which Audi plans to install along major roads and highways by 2020. Audi will install 400 of them, placed within 120 kilometers of each other.
When it comes to power, the E-Tron makes a healthy 435 horsepower, or 503 hp if an extra boost is added. Although the German automaker hasn’t released further details, it is expected the E-Tron will come as a 2019 model with a price starting from $100,000.