Audi E-tron To Charge Quicker Than A Tesla

Audi has confirmed that its all-electric E-tron crossover will charge quicker than comparable Tesla models thanks to advanced new charging stations.

In a statement confirming a plethora of new details about the vehicle, the German brand asserts that the E-tron can be charged in less than 30 minutes for the “next long-distance stage of its journey.” Audi asserts that the crossover will have a range exceeding 248.5 miles (400 km) but has failed to reveal how much charge will be provided in the aforementioned 30 minutes.

Limited details have been offered about exactly how much grunt the Audi E-tron will deliver. However, we do know that it will use a single front electric motor and a single rear electric motor, rather than the three-motor powertrain used by the two E-Tron Quattro concepts. Power will consequently sit below the 496 hp figure from the concept.

Taking the fight to the Tesla Model X

Feeding the two electric motors will be a 95 kWh lithium-ion battery mounted between the front and rear axles. The cells will be supplied by either LG Chem or Samsung. All up, the battery pack weighs in at roughly 700 kg.

One particularly interesting thing about the battery is its cooling system. The system is water-based and bonded to the underside of the modules to maximize heat transfer with heat shed through a front-mounted radiator. Additionally, there is a second heat pump system with a plate heat exchanger that can cool or heat the battery to ensure it remains in the optimum operating range of between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius.

The Audi E-Tron has been teased on a number of occasions and shown in prototype guise. It will premiere as a production model later this year.