Audi has started production for e-tron electric SUV

Audi
will unveil the e-tron’s production version on September
17.
Audi

• Audi began
  producing its electric e-tron
  SUV in Brussels on Monday, the company said in a press
  release.
• According to Audi, the e-tron will have a range of
  over 248 miles, two motors that deliver 414 pound-feet of
  torque, and the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under
  six seconds.
• Audi plans to start delivering the e-tron to US
  customers in early 2019.
• The e-tron, along with Jaguar’s upcoming I-Pace SUV,
  will be the first Tesla Model X competitors available in the
  United States.

Audi began producing its electric e-tron SUV in Brussels on
Monday, the company said in a press release.

The company said its Brussels plant had received extensive
modifications to handle production for the e-tron, which is
Audi’s first fully electric vehicle. The plant is carbon-neutral,
which means it releases net zero carbon dioxide emissions, mostly
due to using renewable energy sources.

Audi has so far shared photos of the e-tron in a
camouflaged exterior and will unveil the vehicle’s
production version and begin taking reservations from US
customers on September 17. The automaker plans to start
delivering the e-tron to US customers in early 2019.

According to Audi, the e-tron will have a range of over 248
miles, two motors that deliver 414 pound-feet of torque, and the
ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under six seconds. When
using a 150 kW DC high-speed charger, the e-tron will be
able to achieve an 80% charge in around 30 minutes, Audi says.
Depending on the trim, Tesla’s Model X SUV has a maximum range of
295 miles and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds.

The e-tron, along with Jaguar’s upcoming I-Pace SUV, will be the
first
Model X competitors available in the United States. Once the
e-tron and I-Pace are released, they may give a sense of whether,
in the short-term, luxury electric SUVs can capture market share
primarily through increased demand for high-end electric
vehicles, or by competing for a relatively static number of
customers.