Audi goes all in when it comes to the development of electric vehicles, and the world of electric cars is about to change with the new Audi A9. The production of the new model has been confirmed by German carmaker boss Rupert Stadler. Tesla will get a serious competitor, but the new car is not all that Audi prepares for us.
Audi has stuck to its slogan “Advancement Through Technology” for a long period. The new vehicle should be called A9 e-tron, and it will share a lot with the Q6 e-tron, according to the reports. The nomenclature implies that the new Audi A9 will probably be an ultra-super-luxury sedan or perhaps an enormous coupe like the Mercedes’ S-Class Coupe. As always, Audi’s production cars bring advanced technologies, so we believe that the new vehicle will be filled with the cutting-edge features and equipment. The autonomous driving system is going to be the main characteristic of this model, and it will be improved compared to the one used in the next year’s A8.
“By 2024 we will have three EVs in the line-up,” said Stadler. “We’ll start with the production version of the e-tron quattro concept car, which will have a range of up to 500km. By 2025, 25% of our line-up will be battery-driven models.”
Moreover, the new car will have the similar drivetrain as the Q6 which features three electric motors – one up front that sends power to the front wheels and two at the back for rear wheels. Other elements which should additionally upgrade this vehicle are a unique torque vectoring differential and a possibility of wireless charging.
Audi R&D boss Stefan Knirsch said: “Some rivals have gone for a synchronous motor with a high power density but at relatively low revs. There are also asynchronous motors that typically achieve similar power outputs but at much higher revs. From 2018, our electric cars will be equipped with asynchronous motors. We are convinced they offer higher efficiency levels than synchronous motors. You’ll see significant differences in the torque vectoring, the four-wheel drive set-up and the power electronic packages.”
If you are a technology lover, listen to this carefully. Audi A8 will sport a next-gen virtual cockpit, which we had a chance to see on the e-tron concept for the first time. This cockpit should replace numerous buttons and knobs which were responsible for operations of the car. A setup like this will have three displays, with the largest one being 14.1 inches that act as an instrument panel. Other two displays are placed on the center console, and the top one is used for navigation and infotainment operations, while the one on the bottom features text input and air conditioning controls.
The driver knows when some function is enabled because the virtual dashboard offers feedback, which is a key characteristic. Audi electronics expert Andreas Lamprecht stated: “Obviously it is a technology that will start in our big cars and work down through the range.”
Follow us for more details.
