The Audi Q4 e-tron is priced in China in the range of RMB 299,900 ($44,330) - RMB 377,100 and will compete with models including the Tesla Model Y and Nio ES6.
(Image credit: FAW-Volkswagen)
Audi's Q4 e-tron, the new all-electric SUV from Volkswagen's luxury brand Audi, was officially launched in China today to compete with models including the Tesla Model Y and Nio ES6.
The Audi Q4 e-tron is built on Volkswagen's first modular platform for electric vehicles, the MEB (Modular Electric Drive Matrix), and is the platform's first luxury all-electric SUV, Volkswagen's joint venture in China, FAW-Volkswagen, said in a press release today.
The model is 4,588 mm long, 1,865 mm wide and 1,626 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,765 mm and has 520L-1,490L capacity trunk space, according to FAW-Volkswagen.
Audi Q4 e-tron has a purely electric brain - E3 intelligent electrical architecture. It has 20 high-performance sensing hardware, enabling up to 13 driver assistance functions, the release said.
The next-generation Audi Connect system, developed based on the Asterix platform, supports the smooth operation of 23 mainstream apps, according to FAW-Volkswagen.
The Audi Q4 e-tron is equipped with an 84.8-kWh battery pack with an available capacity of 79.7 kWh, which ensures that the battery life is still greater than 70 percent after eight years of use, according to FAW-Volkswagen.
The model has a CLTC range of up to 605 km and DC fast charging power of up to 100 kW.
Under ideal conditions, the Audi Q4 e-tron can recharge over 100 kilometers in 10 minutes and from 5 percent to 80 percent in 41 minutes.
The model's cabin includes a 10.25-inch instrument screen and an 11.6-inch center console.
The model is available in four models in China in four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive versions with a price range of RMB 299,900 ($44,330) - RMB 377,100.
For comparison, the Tesla Model Y starts at RMB 316,900 in China and the Nio ES6 starts at RMB 386,000.
Although FAW-Volkswagen emphasizes that the Audi Q4 e-tron is a luxury all-electric SUV with driver assistance features, its presentation does not give the same overall feeling of technology as the Tesla and Nio models.
It's worth noting that the Audi Q4 e-tron opened for pre-order on May 20, but there have been few media reports mentioning the model in the past two months.
For Audi, it was one of the most popular brands in China in the fuel car era, but it faces a tough time catching up with Tesla and other local Chinese emerging brands in electric vehicle sales.
Tesla Model Y retail sales in China in June were 52,150 units, up 348.7 percent from 11,623 units a year earlier, making it the best-selling SUV in China that month, according to a list released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on July 9.
From January to June, Model Y retail sales in China were 133,666 units, up 189.4 percent from 46,180 units in the same period last year, ranking second on the CPCA's list.
BYD Song ranked first with 162,573 units sold in January-June, up 113.3 percent from 76,234 units sold in the same period last year.
Nio delivered 12,961 vehicles in June, its record high for deliveries in a single month, surpassing the previous record of 10,878 vehicles in November last year.
This included 1,684 ES8s, 5,100 ES6s and 1,828 EC6s, as well as 4,349 ET7s.
Audi has not announced its electric vehicle deliveries in China.
