The big automakers are already taking the Tesla Model S electric luxury sedan seriously and Tesla’s Model X is expected to be a big hit when it arrives late this year. However, it seems Audi is planning to fight back by entering the game. Aiming to steal some of the Telsa’s market, Audi is currently working on Model S and Model X rivals.
Only a year ago, the German magazine Auto Bild said that Audi, the luxury car maker owned by Volkswagen Group, is working on a all-electric car, the Q8 e-tron that will have a range of up to 430 miles.
As you can see in the near future, Tesla won’t be the only automaker that’ll be selling a pure electric crossover. The project is reportedly known as “Tesla fighter”. The production of Q8 e-tron has been given the green light by Audi, the automaker confirmed. The model will be based on the next-generation Audi Q7 SUV. The Q8 e-tron will use the same electric powertrain technology, as well as the same battery, developed in the upcoming R8 e-tron and they will boast a realistic range of over 370 miles on a single charge, greater even than Tesla’s Model S. The Q8 e-tron will feature sleek styling with a high waist, low roof and narrow side windows. Like the forthcoming Tesla Model X, the Q8 e-tron will utilize electric motors at both axles for four-wheel drive traction. It will be available in five and seven-seat configurations.
In a press release Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s R&D boss, explained that they are working on “something that has a wider appeal” than the R8 e-tron and it “will meet the demands of more customers”.
Hackenberg added that the new V10-powered, auto-only, R8 supercar along with the pure electric R8 e-tron will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
