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Audi e-tron 50 Is Now the Entry-Level, Comes with Less Power and Less Range

Since its market launch earlier this year, the Audi e-tron SUV managed to sell around 5,000 units in Europe, and under 2,000 in the U.S. These figures are painting a not so great picture for the first electric SUV wearing the four-rings logo. Even so – or because of this - the Germans decided to launch a second model in the range.
2021 Audi e-tron 50 17 photos
Photo: Audi
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Currently the e-tron SUV sells as the 55 quattro, packing a 95 kW battery and two electric motors developing 355 hp and 561 Nm (413.8 lb-ft) of torque. In this configuration, the car sells for $74,800 in the U.S.

The new version is called 50 quattro and will pack a smaller battery, less powerful motors and, supposedly, a lower price tag.

According to Audi, the e-tron 50 uses a 71 kWh battery that gives it a range of up to 186 miles (300 km). That’s significantly less than the 248 miles (400 km) achieved by the range-topper.

Just as its more powerful brother, the e-tron 50 can be recharged from a 120 kW fast-charge station to 80 percent capacity in about half an hour.

With the introduction of the new entry-level, Audi brings its electric SUV capabilities down to a minimum. The bigger 55 was already behind the Tesla Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace in terms of range, and the new version is even farther.

The rest of the technologies deployed in the car are shared with the 55. That includes the energy recuperation system used to generate electricity from other components of the car and feed it back to the battery. With the system on, 30 percent of the battery capacity can be recuperated on the go.

The new e-tron has the same number of electric motors, two, but in this case they develop less power. The e-tron 50 is rated at 308 hp and 540 Nm of torque.

Audi did not say when the car will become available in the U.S. and Europe but did mention a market launch in the U.K. in early 2020.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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