Audi E-tron GT Concept Arrives Earlier Than Expected

by Matt Posky

November 27th, 2018 4:55 PM

audi e tron gt concept arrives earlier than expected

Scheduled to make its official debut at the 2018 LA Auto Show later this week, Audi decided to unwrap the e-tron GT Concept early — bringing in celebrity and friend of the brand Robert Downey Jr. to help do the honors.

While photos of the event were off limits, Audi was kind enough to provide a few media-approved renderings of what appears to be an A7 — sans grille — wearing the company’s signature EV camouflage. This is the e-tron GT, ready to do battle with Tesla’s Model S once Audi puts it into production. According to German outlet Bild am Sonntag, an uncamouflaged version of the concept should appear in Los Angeles on Wednesday — giving the manufacturer an opportunity to parse out the important details. However, we already have some of the pertinent specs.

Audi claims a 248-mile range for the model. While not class-leading, the e-tron GT is said to be capable of recouping 80 percent of its battery in less than 12 minutes. Of course, you’ll need to find a 350 kWh charger to see recharging times anywhere near that brisk.

Electrify America (a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group) has only just started adding 350-kWh points to the United States’ charging infrastructure. Perhaps the situation will have sorted itself out by the time the GT hits the consumer market. If not, the brand’s partnership with Amazon’s Home Services should still be operational and they’ll gladly help you beef up your home charging solution for a price.

The other big question is one of performance, specifically in relation to how the futuristic Audi stacks up against the Model S. Germany hasn’t issued any detailed specs, but an inside source claimed that the GT should boast a 0-to-60 time well below 4 seconds. Considering it’s supposed to be based heavily on Porsche’s upcoming Taycan, it would be disappointing if the e-tron wasn’t at least a little beastly. Fortunately, it sounds as if the e-tron will be more than swift enough to impress most passengers while allowing its owner to feel like they’ve really helped the environment.

Audi intends to launch a production model that’s highly representative of the concept in 2020.

Expect more details and clearer images soon.

[Images: Audi]

#Audi #AudiE-tronGT #ConceptCars #ConceptVehicles #E-tron #ElectricVehicles #EVs #LAAutoShow

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2 comments

JoDa on Nov 28, 2018

What is the life expectancy of the battery pack using that charge rate? What's the cost of a replacement battery pack?

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- Sportyaccordy on Nov 28, 2018
  
  Nobody buying these cars new is keeping them long enough for this to be an issue. Once the battery is kaput it will be recycled for use elsewhere.
  
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