In a move that’s sure to those of us with large piles of disposable income quite happy, Audi has announced their bid to enter the luxury electric car market. It’s essentially a one-company show when it comes to long range electric vehicles. Audi hopes to change this with the introduction of the e-tron quattro. Details are limited at the moment, but Audi has described this the quattro as a sporty SUV-type vehicle. With the price tag on the Tesla’s own Model X SUV hovering around $80,000, it’s a pretty sure bet that Audi will price theirs in that ball park.
While Audi isn’t releasing many details or an expected price, it described the e-tron quattro as a vehicle between the size of the Audi Q5 and the Q7. It features a typical SUV body and flat, coupe-like cabin. But the interior fits only four passengers compared with the five to seven in other crossovers and SUVs. That and other features could change by the time the production version of the vehicle is unveiled.
But Audi isn’t the only one trying to get a piece of that sweet, sweet luxury electric car market. Industry stalwart Mercedes-Benz is apparently ending its program of purchasing electric powertrains from Tesla. These powertrains only supported a range of about 75 kilometers (about 93 miles) and is instead opting for a new powertrain that will allow Mercedes electric vehicles to travel up to 500 kilometers (310-ish miles). I’m sure the eventual price tag of Mercedes’ venture will be equitable to the other two. I mean, it is a Mercedes-Benz, after all.
While Audi and Mercedes certainly have name recognition that could help them move a lot of product, Tesla still currently has the market cornered on long-range electric vehicles. That alone may help Tesla weather this onslaught of competition from the big boys in the industry. They’ve carved out a rather attractive niche. Let’s see if they have the wherewithal to keep it.
