Audi‘s RS e-tron GT has been spotted again, this time at a charging station replenishing its battery. We’ve seen prototypes of the electric performance saloon roaming around, but this is the first instance we’ve seen of it at a charging station. The station in question is from Ionity, one of Europe’s leading charging station providers.
The benefit of these stations is that they
provide a charging rate of up to 300kW, and we expect the RS e-tron GT to be
taking advantage of that. For comparison, Tesla’s range-topping v3
Superchargers can output as much as 250 kW, and the maximum the Model S can
accept is 200 kW. The Porsche Taycan can already charge at 270 kW, and Audi
says the RS e-tron GT will be able to handle up to 350 kW.
The RS e-tron GT shares its underpinnings
with the Taycan Turbo S, and as such, it has a similar drivetrain. It makes 589
hp and 830 Nm of torque from two electric motors,
although 637 hp is available with the overboost function.
This means the RS e-tron GT will make a little less power than its Taycan
sibling, but it makes sense considering the VW Group wouldn’t, in all
likelihood, want to make the Audi faster than the more upmarket Porsche . Keep
in mind, though, that these are preliminary numbers provided for the
pre-production prototype.
Other specs include a curb weight of about
5,000 lbs, and the carryover of the two-speed gearbox from the Porsche, which
keeps you in 1st gear until 80 km/h before changing up. Otherwise, 0-100 km/h takes place in the sub-3.5 second range and top speed is
rated at 250 km/h.
Audi has begun series production of the
upcoming e-tron GT and RS models at their Neckarsulm factory, and says that the
car is the first Audi to go into series production so quickly, which started on
time despite the COVID-19 pandemic. ricing has not yet been announced, but when
it officially launches this spring, the regular e-tron GT should start at
around £ 100,000 (US$ 129,917) in the UK, whereas the RS is expected to cost
approximately £ 130,000 (US$ 168,892).