Audi recently revealed its first EV, the e-tron SUV, which is capable of charging to 80 percent in 30 minutes using 150-kW fast chargers currently being rolled out across Europe. However, these chargers are already capable of 350-kW charging but can only be upgraded when battery technology advances to support the technology. According to a report by Autocar, the e-tron GT will be the first Audi EV with batteries capable of charging at 350kW when it arrives in 2020 to take on the Tesla Model S.
Senior e-tron product marketing manager Johannes Eckstein confirmed to Autocar that battery technology is not advanced enough to accommodate the electricity flow rate of 350kW charging, but next-generation batteries will support the faster charging. As a result, the e-Tron GT will be able to charge to 80 percent capacity in less than 12 minutes when hooked up to a 350 kW fast charger, which should help combat people’s range anxiety with EVs.
To allow owners to take advantage of 350-kW charging in future electric vehicles, Audi is currently developing fast-charging stations around the world with 350 kW support. In Europe, these stations are part of Ionity network, the result of a collaboration between Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, and other automakers.
VW Group’s Electify America subsidiary is also rolling out these stations across America.
Little is currently known about the Audi e-tron GT, but the EV is expected to take the form of an electric luxury sedan that will rival the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. It will be one of 12 electric vehicles Audi will launch by 2025.
