Photo: Audi
Audi's offerings in the electric department have been somewhat disappointing so far, but the Ingolstadt carmaker could argue that the same can be said about any other legacy manufacturer. Apart from Porsche which focused on performance and pretty much nailed it (at the expense of efficiency), there is still no decent EV that wears the badge of a traditional brand.
Some might say that a Renault Zoe makes for a perfect urban - and even suburban - commuter, offering plenty of range in a well-built package the size of a small hatchback, and they would be right. However, it's really more about sales volumes and market share, and that's where legacy carmakers are lagging behind.
They're lagging behind Tesla, of course, the company that manages to soldier on (quite triumphantly, actually) despite everything that's been thrown at it, deservedly or not. That's the one to beat and we would imagine the Volkswagen Group finds the thought of playing second fiddle to a company that's only 17 years old quite a bitter pill to swallow.
The Germans are currently firing on all cylinders - if you'll excuse this highly inappropriate expression in an EV article - to break into the electric vehicle market. VAG has the advantage of owning various brands with different personalities, which means they don't have to cram everything from small city cars to luxury limousines or sports cars under one umbrella.
Porsche has naturally gone the sporty path, Volkswagen aims to become the supplier of the eco-friendly people with the upcoming ID.3, which quite conveniently leaves Audi to handle the luxury part. So far, the two electric body styles to wear the four rings logo have both fallen into the SUV/crossover category, which means it's time for a new direction from Audi.
That new direction is the e-tron GT sporty coupe, but according to British publication Autocar, Audi will follow suit with its answer to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS and Jaguar XJ battery-powered limousines, a car that will rely on luxury and technology in equal measure to offer the supreme motoring experience. This new e-tron model is developed by the in-house Artemis group, a division created specifically for the emerging trends of electrification and self-driving capabilities, so expect plenty of new tech.
The yet-unnamed model - internally referred to as E6 - is said to have the exterior dimensions of the A7 Sportback but offer A8-levels of interior room thanks to the EV architecture. It'll feature over-the-air upgrades and updates, car-to-infrastructure communication, as well as elements of augmented reality, while exterior styling is said to be heavily influenced by the Aicon concept shown in Frankfurt almost three years ago.
Whatever the case, we're still in the early development stages so everything is subject to change, including the 2024 release date. But if Audi manages to retain the elegant nature of the Aicon's styling and plant a decent powertrain inside, we see no reason why this electric executive sedan couldn't compete with the best out there.
They're lagging behind Tesla, of course, the company that manages to soldier on (quite triumphantly, actually) despite everything that's been thrown at it, deservedly or not. That's the one to beat and we would imagine the Volkswagen Group finds the thought of playing second fiddle to a company that's only 17 years old quite a bitter pill to swallow.
The Germans are currently firing on all cylinders - if you'll excuse this highly inappropriate expression in an EV article - to break into the electric vehicle market. VAG has the advantage of owning various brands with different personalities, which means they don't have to cram everything from small city cars to luxury limousines or sports cars under one umbrella.
Porsche has naturally gone the sporty path, Volkswagen aims to become the supplier of the eco-friendly people with the upcoming ID.3, which quite conveniently leaves Audi to handle the luxury part. So far, the two electric body styles to wear the four rings logo have both fallen into the SUV/crossover category, which means it's time for a new direction from Audi.
That new direction is the e-tron GT sporty coupe, but according to British publication Autocar, Audi will follow suit with its answer to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS and Jaguar XJ battery-powered limousines, a car that will rely on luxury and technology in equal measure to offer the supreme motoring experience. This new e-tron model is developed by the in-house Artemis group, a division created specifically for the emerging trends of electrification and self-driving capabilities, so expect plenty of new tech.
The yet-unnamed model - internally referred to as E6 - is said to have the exterior dimensions of the A7 Sportback but offer A8-levels of interior room thanks to the EV architecture. It'll feature over-the-air upgrades and updates, car-to-infrastructure communication, as well as elements of augmented reality, while exterior styling is said to be heavily influenced by the Aicon concept shown in Frankfurt almost three years ago.
Whatever the case, we're still in the early development stages so everything is subject to change, including the 2024 release date. But if Audi manages to retain the elegant nature of the Aicon's styling and plant a decent powertrain inside, we see no reason why this electric executive sedan couldn't compete with the best out there.
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