The Audi e-tron is off to a relatively slow start as the company only managed to sell 678 units in the United States last month. Despite those modest numbers, the company is planning to launch an assortment of other electric vehicles including production versions of the Q4 e-tron and e-tron GT concepts.
However, they could be just the tip of the iceberg as Auto Express is reporting the company is “fast-tracking” a plan to launch 20 electric vehicles by the middle of the next decade. Many of the models are said to be higher-end variants, but there will also be affordable options.
One of them will reportedly be a small electric hatchback that costs around £30,000 ($36,475 / £33,125). This would make it slightly more expensive than the Volkswagen ID.3 which will be introduced next month.
Also Read: VW Confirms ID.3 EV’s Frankfurt Debut, Sub-€30,000 Base Price In Germany
To help keep costs down, the model will apparently be heavily influenced by the ID.3 and ride on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. Despite this, the hatchback would have unique styling inside and out.
Given its position as a luxury vehicle, the hatchback would likely eschew the ID.3’s entry-level 45 kWh battery and be offered exclusively with larger 58 kWh and 77 kWh batteries. They could enable the model to have a range of between 250-320 miles (402-515 km) on a single charge.
The hatchback could be launched in 2021 and be offered with an optional front electric motor. This would give the model all-wheel drive and a bit of a performance boost.
The report also mentions a possible R8 successor which would be fully electric. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard these rumors, but the publication says Audi’s technical development boss, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, told them small, sporty two-seaters could have a unique battery pack that a broken up into multiple sections.
This would eliminate the packaging difficulties of fitting a large battery underneath a small vehicle. It’s believed Audi could use this solution for the successors to both the TT and R8.
