The upcoming Audi e-tron GT will be the first
all-electric Audi to support 350 kW charging, resulting in truly phenomenal
recharge times. The new model, set to arrive in 2020, will be able to charge to 80
per cent capacity in less than 12 minutes when hooked up to a 350 kW fast
charger. That’s a significant reduction from the 30 minutes needed by the new
e-tron SUV to charge to 80 per cent from the company’s existing 150 kW
chargers.
During an interview with Autocar, senior E-tron
product marketing manager Johannes Eckstein said that battery technology is not
yet advanced enough to accommodate the electricity flow rate provided by 350 kW
chargers. However, the batteries of the e-tron GT will offer support.
To ensure that owners of its future electric models
can make use of 350 kW charging as soon as their vehicles arrive, Audi is
already hard at work constructing fast-charging stations around the world with
350 kW support. In Europe, these stations are coming to life through the Ionity
network, which is a collaboration between the likes of Audi, BMW, Ford,
Mercedes, and others. In the United States, the VW Group’s Electify America
subsidiary is also rolling out these stations.
Alongside its support for fast-charging, we know
that the e-tron GT will be a luxury sedan designed to rival the Tesla Model S
and act as an alternative to the Porsche Taycan. The vehicle will be
manufactured at the automaker’s Böllinger Höfe site near Neckarsulm in early
2020.
Besides the e-tron GT and e-tron SUV, Audi will
launch an additional 10 electric vehicles by 2025.
