Audi has given the media a sneak peak of the next incarnation of its all-electric e-tron ahead of the 2019 Geneva Auto Show which is set to start on March 7.
The German premium car-maker is not giving much away: it has teased just three photos ahead of the debut of new concept which will be known as the Q4 e-tron.
As an all-electric variant of Audi’s Q4 crossover (which is reported to go into production later this year), it borrows heavily from the design cues of its ICE cousin, but in the tradition of concept sketches offers a nod to its cutting edge electric powertrain.
While the front grille and lights differ little from its ICE equivalent, wide angled air intakes on the nose and an accentuated curve along the side profile distinguish it as a cut above the internal combustion crowd.
How truthfully these design elements translate into the actual concept vehicle will only become clear upon its unveiling in Geneva, but one thing is sure: Audi means to carve itself a niche in the EV world with its premium performance SUVs.
Its first-generation all-electric e-tron with dual motors, 370km real world range and 83.6kWh battery is now in production and the German carmaker says it already has 20,000 advance reservations across the world.
Speaking at a special event in Stuttgart to hand keys of the new production e-tron to Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Germany’s federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Audi chief Bram Schot confirmed the numbers and made a further commitment for Audi’s electrification plans.
“At Audi, the Audi e-tron represents the new era of electrification and digital services,” Schot said.
“We intend to electrify all our model ranges and make all our plants CO₂-neutral by 2030.”
So far, Audi’s Belgium production site is certified as CO2-neutral, and was the first premium car production site in the world to go green, according to the Ingolstadt carmaker.
It achieves this through three measures: renewably-sourced power, ecological heat supply and climate compensation projects.
The sustainability of the Brussels production site underlines the move to zero emissions processes by the premium carmaker, which has promised 12 all-electric models by 2025.
Specifications for the next-gen Q4 e-tron of course are not yet available, but given the production version would likely be built on Volkswagen AG’s MEB platform it is thought that it will be offered with similar battery options as is planned for the VW I.D. series.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.