Audi's all new Q7 and R8 are powered by electricity

Audi has gone to this year’s Geneva Motor Show with new versions of its Q7 and R8 sports car in tow: electric-powered versions, that is. The new Q7 E-Tron Quattro looks very similar to the regular Q7, but it’s actually a plug-in hybrid that has an electric-only range of 34 miles, thanks to its lithium-ion battery. It promises instant high-speed acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in just six seconds, uses a V6 diesel engine, and has a 270 km per 3.7l potential, with speeds reaching up to 225 km/h. The hybrid SUV has four driving modes: EV mode uses pure electricity, obviously, while hybrid mode automatically switches between electricity and diesel.

Battery hold mode stores any electrical energy for later use, while charge mode is used while charging the battery. Audi plans to release it in the UK by the end of this year for a price that’s yet to be announced, but it’s still unclear if and when it will be released elsewhere. A spokesperson for Audi South Africa confirmed while the models are destined for the UK, no information has been shared on its local release.

The R8 E-Tron sports car, on the other hand, is an all-electric version that has a 450km range in a single charge, 24km more than that of Tesla Model S. It has a permanent all-wheel drive system, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, and can zip across roads at speeds that reach up to 200 km/h. It also has a V10 engine, but you can choose between the 540 hp and the 610 hp versions. In fact, the electric R8 sounds like a good choice for people who love custom cars, because it will only be built for a customer by request (starting this year) — it won’t enjoy a wider release. Audi didn’t mention a price for this one either, but if a regular, basic petrol-powered R8 costs around R220 500, it’s safe to say that the hand-made, by-request EV version won’t be cheap.

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#Audi #Audi Q7 #Audi R8 #Audi South Africa

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.