Improved aerodynamics and rear-wheel drive bring extended 278-mile range for Audi’s second EV
Audi has revealed its second bespoke electric vehicle, the E-tron Sportback, which already has a raft of technical improvements over its E-tron sibling launched last year.
Revealed at the Los Angeles motor show, the coupe is the same weight, length and height as the E-tron and from the B-Pillar forward is identical. The lower part of the rear door, bumper and rear lights are also the same, while the obvious difference – the rear roof line – was cut from the A7.
That roofline makes the car slightly more aerodynamic than the E-tron, with a 0.25 Cd compared with the E-tron’s 0.27, giving the Sportback an extra 6.2 miles of range.
Changes from the E-tron include decoupling the front and rear axles so the model can be rear-wheel drive, which adds another 6.2 miles of range. Brake pads have been optimised with stronger springs so there’s no friction when not required, creating an extra 1.9 miles of range. Audi has also swapped two water pumps for battery cooling to one larger one, saving weight and cost and using less energy, which adds up to 1.2 miles of range. The useability of power from the battery has increased by 88% to 91% stage of charge, creating more than 6.2 miles of range.
Read more: Autocar
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