German luxury car brand Audi on Monday launched a new electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) on the home turf of rival Tesla, and announced a deal with Amazon to make recharging its e-tron models easier.
The e-tron is electric car which has two electric motors – in the front and rear – and an all-wheel drive. The motors will be made in a Hungarian factory that will start with a production pace equivalent to 200 vehicles a day, Audi officials said.
Relive the birth of the first all-electric SUV that can call itself an Audi. #etron pic.twitter.com/5W1xuBYIXt
— Audi (@Audi) September 18, 2018
In Europe, the vehicle will use cameras instead of conventional mirrors to give drivers a view to the rear. That feature, however, is still not approved by the US regulators.
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However, in many other aspects the e-tron will be a conventional, mainstream five-seater, luxury SUV. It will have an advanced cruise-control system that will keep the car within a lane and maintain a set distance behind another vehicle, but the system will be designed so that drivers keep their hands on the wheel.
The electric home charging systems for the e-tron will be sold and installed by partner Amazon. Amazon will deliver the hardware and hire electricians to install them through its Amazon Home Services operation. Cost about $1,000, depending on the home’s electrical system, Audi’s home charging stations are more expensive than Tesla’s wall connectors for home charging for Model X that have a list price of $500 list price, including installation.
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Moreover, Tesla Model X is 5 inchers taller than the Audi and has vertically opening “falcon wing” doors. E-tron has conventional doors.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is heading the SpaceX as well, planned an event in Los Angeles at roughly the same time on Monday evening when the Audi launched e-tron in San Francisco.