Audi South Africa recently launched its e-tron brand locally and amongst the many EVs it showcased at the Zeitz MOCAA (award-winning and largest museum of contemporary African art) is this, the Audi e-tron 55 Quattro.
In terms of design, most electric cars look quite good and the e-tron 55 is no different. It sports a rather clean design and is a tad futuristic with its virtual side-view mirror (which takes some time to get used to). Topping the look of the e-tron 55 is a set of optional 21-inch wheels which looks Stella on this car. Inside is typical Audi build quality. The cabin is premium and has plenty of storage and space. It’s almost like you’re sitting in a spaceship thanks to its 3-screen setup.
Propelling the Audi e-tron 55 Quattro is a 95kWh battery that’s good for 300 kW/664Nm. Audi claims a range of between 369 – 440km, but in the real world, you’re looking at around 300 km. From an 11kW wall charger, it will go from 0 to full in 9 hours. If you find yourself a 150kW charger you can go empty to full in 50 minutes. The e-tron also benefits from regenerative braking. Aside from being able to charge There’s one thing that electric cars are known for their performance. The e-tron weighs in at a hefty 2400+ but carries its weight well as it does a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in an impressive 5.7 seconds. It glides on the road thanks to air suspension.
EVs in South Africa are a great prospect but with two major factors involved: price and charging infrastructure. The e-tron 55 Quattro is a good product from Audi but from such a big car you’d expect a bigger battery and more range which we find is the only major negative. The Audi e-tron 55 Quattro starts from R1,990,000.
