Early adopters of Audi’s electric SUV, the e-tron, will be pleased to learn that a software update is being made available to them. The update will be for model year 2019 and 2020 e-tron 55 quattro models and will extend their range by as much as 20 km (12.4 miles) on the WLTP cycle, a five percent improvement.

Although the update is being rolled out in Europe first, Audi confirmed that it will also come to models in North America “in the near future,” in a statement.

In Europe, the update will be installed at Audi service centers, and mirrors updates that have already been installed on later models. The new software improves the efficiency of a number of the e-tron‘s drivetrain systems.

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The first improvement will allow drivers to access more of their batteries. Most automakers deliberately leave a little bit of a battery’s supply unusable for safety reasons. That’s why some EVs come with a kWh figure (in the e-tron’s case, that’s 95 kWh) and a net kWh figure (now 86 kWh). That particular improvement will be added to vehicles built between September 2018 and November 2019.

Additionally, Audi has developed new software to optimize the control of the front electric motor. Although the e-tron 55 quattro has two motors, under normal, non-taxing driving scenarios, it only uses the rear one. Now, the front motor can be powered off completely and almost entirely disconnected from the front wheels, fully engaging only when more power is needed.

“This makes it possible to even more effectively exploit the major advantage of the asynchronous motor concept, i.e., currentless operation without electrical drag losses,” writes Audi.

The update will also improve cooling. By modifying the control system, Audi can reduce the volume flow rates in the coolant circuit, thus reducing energy consumption.

Audi USA says it will be in touch with customers directly once the update is available to them. Thanks to updates that have already been implemented on newer models, the 2021 Audi e-tron is currently rated at 222 miles (357 km) of total range by the EPA, whereas the 2019 model is rated at 204 miles (328 km). It remains to be seen whether the upgrades will result in improved range ratings.