The Audi e-tron: A Luxurious and Electrifying Experience

Hey guys, this is Austin, and I'm excited to share with you my experience with the brand new Audi e-tron. Audi was awesome enough to sponsor our trip out here to San Francisco for the launch event, and I have to say, I want one. The e-tron brand has been around for a couple of years now, primarily on the A3 e-tron, but this is the fully electric version that has caught my attention.

One of the things I really appreciate about the e-tron is that it doesn't look ugly. Like, I really, really want one. Unlike many electric cars straight up do look like science projects, the e-tron looks like a classic Audi with a little bit of an electric flair. One of the easiest ways to spot that this is an e-tron and not a standard Audi is going to be with the grill. The main difference here is that it actually isn't a full grill; only one area will open up, which is purely based on how you need to cool the battery or stuff like the air conditioning.

When you're on the freeway, it can all close up, and this is going to be fully aerodynamic. Take a look inside the e-tron, what you're going to find is something that is very much classic Audi but with a lot of nice tech touches. You get all kinds of information up on here; for example, you can get a giant high-resolution Google map or some more of the performance data, some more of the economy stuff, as, of course, you're driving an electric vehicle and you want to be able to see how efficiently you're doing it.

The e-tron is powered by a pair of electric motors, one on the rear axle, one on the front. In addition to giving you the full Audi quattro experience of all-wheel drive, you're going to get some pretty decent power. The finalized figures aren't in just yet here in the US, but you should expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 to 400 horsepower. And importantly, since it's an electric vehicle, you're going to have a lot of torque and it's going to be instant.

One of the features that really impresses me with the e-tron is its boost mode. If you want just a little bit of extra power or are trying to outrun someone (not that I would ever do that in an e-tron), there's actually a little bit of extra juice for a few seconds, which you can engage either by putting the car in sport mode or if you really floor the throttle. There's also a button on the backside of the pedal that will give you just a little bit of extra power for a few seconds.

Even though it's an electric vehicle, you're not giving up practicality. This has standard air suspension, which you can see is currently lowering all the way down. You have a couple inches of play, whether you want to go off-road or you want to go into dynamic mode, which is the fun mode. If you really want to go crazy with it, this car can actually tow up to 4,000 pounds if you get the tow package.

What really impresses me with the e-tron is that it feels like it's the full package. Sure, you're getting an electric vehicle, but it's also a luxurious Audi with all the bells and whistles and importantly, all the functionality that you would expect. I was kind of surprised to say this, but I'm glad that Audi really sponsored our trip out here because I legitimately want an e-tron.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austinand this is the brand new Audi e-tron.Now, Audi was awesome enough to sponsorour trip out here to SanFrancisco for the launch eventand I've got to say I want one.Like, I really, really want one.The e-tron brand has been aroundfor a couple of years now,primarily on the A3 e-tron.It's a cool car, butit is a plug-in hybridwhereas this is fully electric.Something I really appreciateabout the e-tron isthat it actually doesn't look ugly.Now, that might sound likea backhanded compliment,but a lot of electric cars straight updo look like science projects.This looks like a classic Audiwith a little bit of an electric flair.One of the easiest ways to spotthat this is an e-tronand not a standard Audi isgoing to be with the grill.Now, it looks similar, butthe main difference here isthat it actually isn't a full grill.So in fact, this is the only areathat will actually openup and that's purely basedon how you need to cool the batteryor stuff like the air conditioning.When you're on the freeway,it can all close up,and this is going to be fully aerodynamic.Take a look inside the e-tron,what you're going to find is somethingthat is very much classic Audibut with a lot of nice tech touches.So you get all kinds ofinformation up on here.For example, you can get a gianthigh-resolution Google map,or you can get some moreof the performance data,some more of the economy stuff,as, of course, you'redriving an electric vehicleand you want to be able to seehow efficiently you're driving.There's a bunch of different thingsthat you can do with virtual cockpit.But that, my friends,is just the beginning.You also have two additional screenshere in the center console.This is going to be the main display.It works for things like your navigationand it does have this nicelittle Haptic touch feature,which is shared withnot only this display,but also the one in the backseat.This is where you're going to doprimarily most of thestuff in the vehicle.You can pull up likecar play, your settings,whatever you want to do,and below that is where you can controlall of the different climate control stuffand a couple of other settings.So if I want, I can say,just turn up the fan,can set the dual zone climate control.Or you can do a couple of other things,like, say, open your garage dooror turn off the screens altogether.Unfortunately, we'renot actually connectedto the Internet right now but if we were,I could show you that Alexais built into the e-tron.Now, this is a new partnership with Amazonand it's the full version of Alexa,which is using LTE to be able to ask it,well, pretty much anything you want.So in theory, you cansay on your way home,hey, Alexa,start mygarage door opener?Something really coolthat's sadly not comingto the US is the virtual mirror.Now, right now, it's goingto be exclusive to Europemostly because of the regulations here,but essentially it replacesthe standard mirrors with cameras.Now, what this means is that not only isit going to help with aerodynamics,but this little sectionright here is going to bereplaced with an OLED display,which will then show you what's goingto be going on behind you.On top of that, it willeven adjust the viewbased on how quickly you're driving.So, say you might see alittle bit of a wider viewon the freeway or a littlebit of a tighter viewwhen you're on a side streetor whatever the case is.But it's going to be fully adjustableand it's a fricking camera and a screenin your side mirror thing.I want it.The star of the show here isdefinitely the electric powertrain.Now, you actually can kindof see this from the outside.So underneath the floor of the cabin isgoing to be the full 95 watt hour cell.There is a lot of engineering that goesinto that battery cell.So on top of being aboutthe largest capacitythat you can get on anyelectric vehicle right now,there's going to be a lot of safetyand, importantly, a lot of cooling inside.So the entire bottom of the battery isall going to be liquid-pooledand on top of that,this crash structure aroundit is hugely importantbecause, you know, ifsomeone hits your car,you don't want yourbatteries to be impacted.So not only is there is going to bean actual crash structureon the side of the cell,but each individual battery cell,there are going to be36 of them that take upthe actual battery space,they're all going to beindividually protectedwith a very strong steel frame.There's not a final USrange number availablefor the e-tron yet sinceit won't be going on saleuntil next year but basedon the European cycle,you should expect 200plus miles on a charge.And that combined withthe ultra fast chargingshould mean that, well, I don't care,that's fine, that's plenty for me.The e-tron will chargeup to 150 kilowatts.Now, as far as I know,that's about the quickestelectric vehicle car that you can find.At a full 150 kilowatt hour charge,what you can do, is you can get this thingfrom 0% to 80% in 30 minutes.The e-tron is powered bya pair of electric motors,one on the rear axle, one on the front.Now, in addition to giving youthe full Audi quattroexperience of all wheel drive,you're going to be gettingsome pretty decent power.So the finalized figures aren'tin just yet here in the US,but you should expect somewherein the neighborhood of350 to 400 horsepower.And importantly, since itis an electric vehicle,you're going to have a lot of torqueand it's going to be instant.There's also a boost mode on board.So if you want just alittle bit of extra power,or say you're trying tooutrun Marquez or something,not that I would everdo that in an e-tron,then there's actuallygoing to be a little bitof extra power for a few seconds,which you can engage either byputting the car in sport modeor if you really floor the throttle,there's actually a button onthe backside of the pedal,which will then give you just a little bitof extra juice for a few seconds.Even though it's an electric vehicle,you're not giving upa lot of practicality.So this has standard air suspension,which you can see is currentlylowering all the way down.You have a couple inches of play,whether you want to go off roador you want to go into dynamic mode,which is the fun mode.You should drive it in fun mode.And if you really wantto go crazy with it,this can actually tow up to 4,000 poundsif you get the tow package,which I just kind of want to trybecause, you know, anelectric car that's fast,and roomy, and can tow?I'm just really tryingto sell my fiance on thisright now so just betweenus, just roll with it, okay?What really impressesme with the e-tron isthat it feels like it is the full package.Sure, you're getting an electric vehicle,but it's also a luxurious Audi with allthe bells and whistles and, importantly,all the functionalitythat you would expect.I was kind of surprised to say this,but I'm glad that Audi reallysponsored our trip out here,because I legitimately want an e-tron.