By Leonard Robinson
On April 14, Audi released its new Q4 E-Tron electric SUV, the German manufacturer’s cheapest model with a $45,000 price tag. Current federal electric vehicle tax credits can bring the most basic model down to $37,500.
The Q4 E-Tron basic model will have rear-wheel drive, while more expensive models will have all-wheel drive. Entry-level models will be able to travel 250 miles on a charge with a maximum output of 201 horsepower, while more expensive models will be able to offer up to 295 horsepower.
Entry-level customers will find the Q4 E-Tron has a 10.1-inch touchscreen display and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with an option for a larger 11.6-inch display. Audi is also offering an augmented-reality display that shows information like driver assist and navigation in front of the windshield, according to Business Insider.
Audi is not revealing the prices for the more expensive versions of its new SUV yet. Those details are expected to come by the end of the year as the Q4 E-Tron goes on sale, according to CNN.
Low-cost electric vehicles, or EVs, are crucial to fulfilling the company’s goal of having 30% of its global lineup be electrified (either fully electric or hybrid) by 2025. Audi has stated that they plan to have more fully electric models on the US market than any other luxury brand by the end of 2021 as it makes considerable progress towards that goal.
Today, BMW only sells the i3 hatchback while Mercedes-Benz has yet to release an electric vehicle product in the United States.
Numerous vehicle manufacturers have decided to switch to producing a larger volume of electric vehicles in the years ahead.
In September, California announced a de-facto ban on diesel and gas-powered cars starting in 2035. A report from Morgan Stanley predicts that electric cars are expected to account for half of the new cars sold globally by 2035 and up to 80 percent by 2050. The report also predicts that Volkswagen will sell 11.2 million electric vehicles by 2040, making them the most popular electric vehicle manufacturer. After Volkswagen, Toyota follows with 6.5 million, Tesla follows with 4.9 million, and General Motors follows with 4.1 million.
Numerous manufacturers, including BMW and Audi, are already gearing up for a future producing more electric vehicles.
“We have to realistically believe that around 2035 there will be a serious discussion about banning the internal combustion engine, and not just in California,” said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson to the Wall Street Journal in September.
