Source: AUDI AG
A new software update for owners of either a 2019 or 2020 Audi e-Tron will extend the car’s range by up to 20 additional kilometres, according to the German automaker,
Though the new software update must be installed at Audi service centres rather than being pushed over-the-air, the new update is designed to pass on to older Audi models efficiency increases found in new Audi vehicles.
Just over a month after Audi officially launched its all-electric Q4 e-tron compact SUV onto the US market – which includes the Q4 40 e-tron, the Q4 50 e-tron, and the Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron – the company also began rolling out the new software update which included efficiency changes that improve the range for its first electric model series at the end of 2019.
As a result, the current model year Audi e-tron 55 quattro can travel up to 441-kilometres (WLTP) on a single battery charge.
Meanwhile, the software update for older models – which included an update expanding the usable capacity of the battery – has increased the usable capacity of the 95kWh battery in the Audi e-tron 55 quattro, meaning that it now delivers more net usable power of 86kWh, thus translating into increased range.
The software update can be installed free of charge at any Audi service partner service centre and is available for all Audi e-tron 55 quattro production vehicles built between mid-September 2018 (model year 2019) and the end of November 2019 (model year 2020).
The update also improves cooling of the Audi e-tron 55 quattro, improving the efficiency of the car’s flexible thermal management system. Specifically, according to Audi, “Modifying the control system made it possible to reduce the volume flow rates in the coolant circuit, thus reducing energy consumption.”
The cooling system underlies the car’s fast DC charging, long battery life, and consistent driving performance, even under high loads.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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