There’s no stopping the electric vehicle onslaught. Proof of this is BYD bringing in its line of EVs to the country. Then there’s Audi that will soon reveal its E-Tron fully electric crossover. But even before it debuts the model later this year, the German carmaker has let the world in on some really juicy tidbits.
Chief among these is the very streamlined drag coefficient of just 0.28. While this may sound par for the course in today’s jellybean-shaped car market, keep in mind that this is a tall SUV. The men and women from Ingolstadt were able to achieve this by utilizing some very clever pieces of technology.
They used stuff like an enclosed underbody, inlets located on what is essentially a front grille, and low rolling-resistance tires with negative lettering (as opposed to the usual raised letters on the sidewall). Even the alloy rims have a flatter design to help reduce drag.
But probably the two biggest tech pieces are arguably the air suspension and rearview cameras. The air suspension lowers the vehicle by 25mm at speeds above 120kph. The cameras, meanwhile, are set to take the place of conventional side mirrors and will be offered as optional equipment. When so equipped, they will display live video feed onto a monitor located within the driver’s line of sight. Drivers can even choose between three viewing modes: highway, turning, and parking.
All these goodies aim to help reduce wind resistance and increase energy efficiency. Take note that we didn’t use fuel efficiency as this is a zero-emissions vehicle that runs on battery power. Audi says that the vehicle would be fitted with a 95kWh battery underneath the floor for a totally streamlined package. It can be charged in as little as two hours using a 150kw charger. As for range, it can go up to 400kms on a single top-up.
Expect to see the Audi E-Tron in all its production-ready glory by August of this year.
