It’s all-electric, but it’s £60k and it doesn’t even have wing mirrors. I want my money’s worth!
The Audi e-tron just got a little more affordable thanks to the new release of the e-tron 50. It’s not quite as good as the e-tron 55 but it’s still very luxurious, very flashy and has a decent amount of range.
Prices start from £59,900 and just like the higher-spec e-tron 55, the e-tron 50 comes from the carbon-neutral production plant in Brussels, supports fast charging and has a pair of futuristic virtual wing mirrors!
With an official battery range of 190 miles (and a real-life range likely closer to 170 miles) the e-tron 50 still has a very reasonable and practical range. Also, this posh all-electric SUV has two electric motors that produce a total of about 308 horsepower. Plenty of electric power for a fast acceleration that will take you from 0-62 mph in just seven seconds.
With the standard spec Audi e-tron 50, customers are treated to a range of additions. One of the main inclusions are the new virtual wing mirrors which, actually, aren’t mirrors at all. Using cameras, an image of what’s happening behind you is put onto a screen inside the car, on the inside of the doors.
Also, as standard, Audi are generously giving all e-tron and e-tron Sportback customers a 7kW home wall box charger which can charge the e-tron 50 from 0 to 100% in just ten and a half hours.
The car is rear-wheel drive by nature to conserve energy, but all four wheels can be driven at the same time as well, making the e-tron 50 part of the Quattro family, or in this case as Audi are calling it, the e-quattro family. The front motors will activate when the car predicts you need it, so we assume in times when you put your foot down or when the terrain gets a bit difficult the e-quattro system will activate.
More technology in the form of clever thermal management is also included in this car of the future. A ‘thermal pump’ system will regulate the temperature of the battery, the cabin and it will even cool the electric motors to stop them from getting hot. This is Audi’s way of making their high-voltage components living a long and healthy life and preventing any premature malfunctioning.
The e-tron 50 costs less than its e-tron 55 sibling, but still costs a rather whopping £59,900. It is available in Technik, Sport and S line guise, each offering different styling packages, wheels, lights and interiors.
The S line package is the sportiest and just like in ordinary petrol and diesel Audis, the S line brings bigger wheels, sportier bumpers, tinted windows and a slightly lower suspension to the table. This can be seen on the blue e-tron in the image at the top of this page.
And it sounds like future e-tron vehicles will also be available in the ever-popular S line configuration as director of Audi UK, Andrew Doyle says “[the e-tron 50] is also notable for introducing attractive new specification options, including the ever-popular S line, that will roll out across the e-tron range in the longer term.”
So, ordered yours yet? Let us know what you think of the all-new e-tron 50!
If you enjoyed this, you may also like to read about our final goodbye to the BMW i8, as it stops production this April.
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