All-electric SUV Gets Social Media Launch
The newest e-Tron (joining the A3 e-Tron plug-in hybrid) is Audi’s first purely electric vehicle, which the company is showing it off in a unique way. Before it was shown at the Geneva Motor Show, nearly 250 of the prototype development vehicles were turned loose on the streets of Geneva wearing a stunning (electrifying?) design film. Audi invited people who saw the cars to post their photos on www.e-tron.audi, too, using the #etron hashtag, making it an audience participation event.
The spacious, five-passenger prototypes are part of a test fleet that will travel to four continents to accumulate more than 3 million miles in all kinds of climate conditions, in temperatures from a freezing -4 degrees to a roasting 122 degrees. They’re going to use every kind of charger, public and private, to make sure customers will have a smooth experience moving into pure EV motoring.
This is a good practical idea, but also creates some great marketing opportunities. The specially designed camouflage highlights rather than hides the new vehicle’s styling and helps create more buzz.
Some Hints of Detail
The car’s official uncamouflaged introduction is slated for later in the year. Although official stats weren’t given, the e-Tron Quattro’s concept shown earlier claimed to have a range in excess of 300 miles with a 95-kW battery pack, using three electric motors with a total output of 320 kW. You’ll be able to top off the battery in less than half an hour using 150-kW fast-charging facilities.
The e-Tron Quattro should be available in Europe later this year, debuting on August 13th at the Audi Summit in Brussels, the site of the factory where it will be assembled. It will compete initially with the Tesla Model X and Jaguar i-Pace in the luxury EV crossover segment. Audi plans more EVs in the next several years, including two more by 2020, and will field a wide assortment of 20 EVs and plug-in hybrids by 2025.
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