2019 Audi e-tron First Drive

there are electric cars, and then there are electric luxury suvs. previously, only the jaguar i-pace and the tesla model x qualified for the latter category. now you can add the 2019 audi e-tron to that short but growing list. the mercedes-benz eqc will make it a foursome when it lands on our shores later this year.

we previously sampled a european-spec e-tron months ago in abu dhabi. this time around, we drove a u.s.-production example on home soil. it's not just the roads and certain e-tron details that differ here. audi has also released critical details about the charging equipment that supports its new ev at home and on the road here in the usa.

we also now know that a full battery is good for an epa-certified range of 204 miles. that is less than what the jaguar and the tesla provide. but based on our experience of living with a wide variety of electric vehicles for a year or more, we think 204 miles is plenty. the e-tron also comes with a no-compromise approach to passenger comfort and is supported by some clever engineering decisions that speed up charging. this electric-powered luxury suv deserves your attention.

a real suv

the e-tron is bigger than audi's q5 but a little smaller than the q8. the cabin is trimmed in premium materials, and the driver enjoys a clear sense of control thanks to the easily configurable driving position, head-up display and digital gauge cluster (audi's virtual cockpit). we're not huge fans of how audi mounted the all-touch mmi screens low on the dash. they're down out of the driver's line of sight, but we like certain e-tron-specific tweaks. for instance, there's a dynamic ring display on the navigation map that illustrates how far you can go in any direction. and if you input a destination, the e-tron will fine-tune your range to account for speed, traffic, topography and known weather along your route.

the seats are substantial and nicely padded, and the front ones are heated, cooled and massaging. air-conditioning systems in electric vehicles are notoriously tepid, but the e-tron's gets down to business quickly. it has four distinct zones, so outboard rear passengers can set their temperature and manipulate both center and outboard vents. head- and legroom are here in abundance, and the rear legroom is especially generous when compared to its electrified competition. rear toe room can get tight if the front seat is lowered to the deck, but that's about it. those who plan to fit child seats will appreciate not only the space but also the easily accessed seat anchors.

on the spec sheet, the e-tron's cargo hold is good for 28.5 cubic feet, which is 3.2 cubes more than the i-pace's. the difference feels substantially bigger because the load deck is broader and deeper. a single carry-on suitcase will look lonely back there, and we figure you could easily add in five more just like it. if you lower the 60/40-split rear seats, you'll have 57 cubic feet at your disposal.

the e-tron's standard roof rails accept attachments to carry items such as bicycles, a kayak or general cargo. you can also tow up to 4,000 pounds. but we'll note that our experience with using a model x for towing left such a bad taste in our mouths that we suggest you stick with gasoline if you tow any distance. until we conduct a test that convinces us otherwise, consider the hitch, which is an accessory anyway, to be a mount for a bike rack and leave it at that.

dual-motor quattro electric drive

the e-tron is an all-wheel-drive machine. but its version of audi quattro is fundamentally different than what you'll find in other audis because the separate motors power the front and rear axles. the only connection between them is software. the rear motor is slightly larger than the front. on level ground, propulsion is divvied up 80% rear and 20% front. the bias shifts toward a more even split as you accelerate. when you're driving around a turn, the system applies additional oomph to the inside tire to help pull the car into corners.

a standard air suspension makes the ride impressively comfortable. the drivetrain emits a purr of gear noise under load, but the cabin is otherwise admirably silent even compared to other electric cars. audi has not scrimped on sound insulation, and the prestige trim we drove had dual-laminate glass. there's little wind noise, and you'll only hear the tires when driving on cracked concrete or coarse winter-damaged asphalt.

the steering is a bit vague when you're cruising on the highway, but the feel improves considerably when you drive through long corners or sweeping bends. in these situations, the e-tron is exceptionally well-balanced and steady. it also doesn't lean much thanks to the floor-mounted battery pack that contributes to the vehicle's low center of gravity. making very tight turns can break the spell, however. this is a heavy machine.

acceleration is smooth and robust, and it can be downright quick if you literally floor the throttle. in most drive modes, the two motors conspire to produce 355 horsepower. but if you put the e-tron in sport mode and mash the pedal into the kickdown switch, the powertrain is capable of an 8-second, 402-horsepower boost mode. this direct-drive machine has no transmission to kick down, but the way the e-tron triggers boost mode gives you the same feeling.

many electric cars are quickest on their first pass down a drag strip but have difficulty repeating the trick because their motors get hot and lose performance. the e-tron's motors are shot through with liquid cooling passages, and that allows them to maintain optimum performance even under load. audi claims the e-tron can get to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, which we don't doubt, and the company also says that heat won't start affecting boost mode unless you utilize it 10 times in a row.

that braking thing

pressing the throttle turns electricity into motion, of course, and easing off the throttle can do the opposite. this regenerative braking is able to handle most deceleration needs, and it greatly reduces wear and extends the life of traditional braking components.

like other evs, the e-tron is a brake-by-wire machine that examines the urgency of your brake pedal input and decides whether to use regenerative braking or the traditional brakes. but its brake pedal engagement is very touchy, so it takes some effort to brake smoothly.

we've grown to love the easy-driving feel of evs that also deliver strong brake regeneration as you lift off the throttle pedal, but the e-tron doesn't do this well. the "manual energy recuperation" mode allows you to prioritize lift-throttle regeneration in this way, but the maximum setting is far too weak (by half, at least) to enable anything like one-pedal driving. it's a pity because this transformative ev trait delivers clear benefits in cars that do it well.

range and home charging

audi rates the e-tron's battery at 95 kilowatt-hours of capacity. that isn't small, but its usable capacity of 83.6 kwh is 88% of that total. the i-pace, by comparison, uses 94% of its 90-kwh battery's capacity. audi's more conservative approach is meant to give its battery better long-term health and resilience, but it does reduce the available range.

those who fret over 204 miles have probably never owned an electric car and are still thinking in terms of gasoline and their dislike for stopping to refuel even once a week. let's agree that if you can afford the e-tron's $75,795 base price, you have a home, not an apartment — and probably a second car. the range discussion then revolves around a different question: how many miles do you drive in a typical day? most people will say 30 to 50 miles.

per-day thinking is needed because you'll charge at night in your driveway or garage. it'll be full every morning and you'll never have to visit a gas station or even a public charging station. audi makes it easy to set yourself up for this because the included cord has swappable plug ends. most notably, there's a nema 14-50 plug, which is the style that's used to connect big motorhomes to 240-volt, 40-amp shore power. any certified electrician can install the matching socket. if you're not one and are uncertain how to proceed, audi has partnered with amazon home services to streamline this process.

the e-tron's 9.6-kw onboard charger is sized to take in all the juice a nema 14-50 has to offer, at which point you're charging faster than a level 2 public station. an average user should be able to replace a typical day's driving in a couple of hours. if you drive more than average, well, you've got all night. an empty-to-full charge, which isn't a thing, takes over 10 hours at a public station but closer to nine hours on a properly wired nema 14-50 setup. the jaguar i-pace and mercedes-benz eqc don't gain any advantage from nema 14-50 charging because they only have 7.2-kw onboard chargers.

road tripping

tesla's supercharger network has been the only level 3 fast-charging network that enabled long-distance ev travel. dc fast chargers exist for other cars, and you can use them by connecting with the e-tron's sae combo port. but existing dc fast chargers aren't as fast as a supercharger, and they aren't laid out in any coordinated way. coming to the rescue is the electrify america (ea) network with its funding secured by the volkswagen group as part of its penance for the diesel emissions scandal.

most ea stations are good for a charge rate of 150 kw, and the e-tron doubles down on this advantage with a comprehensive battery cooling system that allows the vehicle to sustain that 150-kw pace out to 80% full, which is unprecedented. tesla vehicles currently charge no faster than 120 kw, and our various tesla test cars have typically rolled off much sooner, beginning near the half-full point. what's more, superchargers split their output when two teslas are charging side by side. ea chargers don't.

audi says it takes just 30 minutes to get from zero to 80% at an ea station, but you'll never arrive stone-empty. the typical pattern we've seen in tesla cross-country drives amounts to arrival at 15% and departure at 75%. that'd take between 20 and 25 minutes in an e-tron at the 150-kw stations that ea is currently stringing across the country.

no need to wait

the e-tron is available for purchase right now. the base premium plus goes for $75,795 with destination charges included. the prestige will set you back $82,795. these prices include 1,000 kwh of ea station credit, which equates to about 2,200 miles' worth of driving. both are eligible for a tax credit of $7,500, and that makes the theoretical price very similar to that of an audi q8.

for that you get a legitimately luxurious and spacious five-passenger suv that just happens to be powered by electricity. and don't fret too much about the 204-mile range. charging every night after a day's driving represents your base needs, and the location of fast-charge stations will always determine where you'll stop on a road trip. and if the idea of road-tripping an ev still makes you nervous, you can always take your second car.