Audi has revealed plans for an all-electric SUV with a driving range of ‘more than 310 miles’.
The e-tron quattro concept SUV is set to make its début at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, with a production version scheduled for 2018.
It comes in tandem with news that, following the Volkswagen Group’s controversial changes in boardroom personnel, the electric R8 e-tron project has been resurrected and will now be put into production after all.
In fact, the drivetrain of the R8 has been taken wholesale for use in the SUV, although it is not clear at present whether it would be tuned to the same performance level.
Partly thanks to a completely closed, flat under-tray beneath the body, the concept SUV has an amazingly low drag coefficient of 0.25. The most aerodynamic road cars today, despite being much smaller and with less frontal area, boast figures around 0.27, while an average value is in the low 0.3s.
Audi has fitted the e-tron quattro SUV with movable aerodynamic elements on the front and sides of the car to help direct and smooth air flow.
The concept is sized between the Q5 and Q7, but with a lower roof-line for better aerodynamics. Audi claims that the interior offers space for four people, but it is anticipated that a production version will look a little more conventional, with a higher roof and more interior space.
