Audi gets switched on to an electric future at import expo

Audi is showcasing three electric models at the 2020 China International Import Expo, demonstrating the German premium carmaker's confidence in China's new energy vehicle market and its commitment to a carbon-neutral future.

"Audi is transforming itself to become the leading carbon-neutral premium mobility provider in China and globally. We will exceed Chinese customers' expectations with our future-oriented products and services," said Audi China President Werner Eichhorn.

The carmaker said the models showcased at the event, which runs from Nov 5-10, represent major milestones on its way to an electrified and carbon-neutral future.

One of them is the China-made Audi e-tron SUV. As the brand's first electric series production model, the e-tron began to roll off the production line at Audi's FAW-Volkswagen joint venture in Changchun, Jilin province, from September.

Audi said to win in the Chinese NEV market, it is important to have the right products and it believes the e-tron is the key.

It is a product brand in itself where it has brought together all our competencies in terms of future technology: electric drivetrain, autonomous driving and connectivity, said the carmaker.

Audi said the model will hit the market in early 2021, expecting it to reshape the market and set a new benchmark for Chinese-produced premium NEV products.

The e-tron Sportback coupe, another highlight of Audi's at the CIIE, will be imported to China early next year.

The model, which had its Chinese premiere at the Beijing auto show in September, has a maximum output of 300 kilowatts and torque of up to 664 newton meters.

This allows acceleration from 0-100 kilometers per hour in 5.7 seconds. The maximum speed is 200 km/h.

Another highlight is the Q4 e-tron concept. This compact SUV will be Audi's first model built on its parent company Volkswagen's electric-only MEB platform.

The model measures 4,590 millimeters in length and has a 2,770-mm wheelbase. It sports an 82-kW-hour battery. Featuring two electric motors, the car generates a maximum output of 225 kW. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in just 6.3 seconds and has a maximum speed of 180 km/h.

The carmaker said the model will be produced at FAW-Volkswagen in the near future.

"China's economy is developing at a super speed and China's customers have high expectations with regard to future sustainable mobility," said Eichhorn.

The brand launched its electric product offensive in China with the Q2L e-tron and the e-tron.

By 2022, Audi will offer another six new energy vehicles in China, including the locally produced Audi e-tron and the imported e-tron Sportback.

Last month, Audi signed a memorandum of understanding with FAW for the joint production of electric vehicles based on the Premium Platform Electric, which has been codeveloped by Audi and Porsche.

New electric models on this platform will be produced in 2024. Eichhorn said: "This is a further milestone in our electrification strategy for the Chinese market.

"We are also confirming our commitment both to our long-standing Chinese partner FAW and to our activities in China, which we are now taking to a new level."

Audi expects around one-third of its sales in China will be electric vehicles by 2025.

Together with Volkswagen Group China, Audi has invested in the charging infrastructure company, CAMS, to provide a premium service and convenient locations to customers.

Convinced that the future is electric, Audi expects NEVs to drive car-market growth in China over the next 10 years. Such vehicles are estimated to account for around 50 percent of the total auto market in the next 15-20 years.

China is the world's largest market for both gasoline and new energy vehicles.

Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that carmakers sold 734,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the first three-quarters of this year. The association expects this year's sales to exceed 1 million.

Audi wants to be the leading carbon-neutral premium mobility provider in China and globally. It plans to offer 30 electric vehicles by 2025 worldwide.

The carmaker is also one of the most popular premium brands in China. Despite the pandemic, Audi delivered 512,081 vehicles in China in the first three-quarters of 2020, up 4.5 percent year-on-year.

Its accumulated sales have exceeded 6 million, the most of any premium carmaker in the country.