Audi’s upcoming e-tron Quattro crossover won’t just rival the Tesla Model X in terms of range, but will also provide dynamic handling and performance, the company says.
During a number of recent interviews with Audi research and development chief Peter Mertens and Audi technical director for powertrain development, Siegfried Pint, Car and Driver has learned that the e-tron Quattro will be a technological tour de force.
Power for the e-tron Quattro crossover as well as the future Sportback variant, will come courtesy of two electric motors, one driving the front wheels and the second powering the rear.
The range-topping performance models will then utilize three motors with two at the rear and one at the front.
This three-motor design will allow the vehicle to transfer torque front to rear and, at the rear, left to right. Torque will be fined-tuned between the wheels within nanoseconds, therefore giving the crossover better handling than an equivalent petrol or diesel model.
The German automaker will offer at least two battery sizes to customers and both will support 150-kW fast charging, enough to provide 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. It is even possible that the e-tron Quattro models will allow for 350-kW fast charging but first, chargers that powerful will need to be developed and deployed. Both models will also support wireless inductive charging.
The initial e-tron Quattro crossover is expected to launch in Europe in late 2018 before arriving in the U.S. the following year.
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