Audi borrows an old Tesla perk for the 2022 e-tron GT EV
Audi is leaving nothing to chance when it comes to the 2022 e-tron GT and potential luxury car buyers being scared off by EV charging, inking a new agreement for free public top-ups. The agreement will see all 2022 Audi e-tron GT buyers get three years of complimentary DC fast charging at Electrify America stations across the US.
There are currently more than 600 public charging stations in that network, and the e-tron GT will be able to tap speeds of up to 270 kW. That's the equivalent of taking the sports EV from 5-percent to 80-percent in around 22 minutes, or approximately 180 miles of range.
By the end of the year, meanwhile, Electrify America says it expects to have around 800 locations in operation in the US. In total, there'll be around 3,500 chargers on offer.
It's not the first time we've seen Audi lean on Electrify America with its EV launches in the US. While the automaker doesn't have an official charging network of its own – unlike Tesla's Supercharger infrastructure – it's been bundling some degree of free charging with earlier electric cars. The 2020 e-tron Sportback, for example, came with 1,000 kWh of Electrify America charging, which could be used over the first four years of ownership.
This 2022 e-tron GT deal, though, is potentially far more generous. Indeed it feels like a nod back to the early days of Tesla, when the Model S and then the Model X after it were offered with free, unlimited Supercharging so as to help remove some of the lingering apprehension about whether electrification was actually practical. Tesla later dialed back the deal as its cars grew more popular, and now all new buyers have to pay to use Superchargers.
Audi's challenge is arguably a little different at the moment. The automaker certainly has an established brand, but its EVs lack the range promises that the latest Model S can deliver. The e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT, for example, are expected to be rated at 238 miles and 232 miles, respectively, on the EPA's cycle. Final figures will be confirmed closer to launch, but that's considerably behind the EPA estimated 405 miles that Tesla says its Model S Long Range can offer.
Announced earlier this year, the 2022 e-tron GT and 2022 RS e-tron GT are some of Audi's most striking electric models to-date. The former is expected to have 469 horsepower in normal operation, or 522 hp in a 2.5 second boost mode, along with 464 lb-ft of torque (or 472 lb-ft in boost mode). It'll do 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, Audi says.
As for the RS e-tron GT, that'll nudge the power figures up to 637 hp and 612 lb-ft in boost mode. 0-60 mph is trimmed, then, to 3.1 seconds: a little faster, indeed, than an Audi R8 V10, the automaker points out. Sales of the two cars will kick off this summer.