The Audi E Tron SUV shows just how well it can perform in the desert sand.
The Audi E Tron SUV is an upcoming vehicle that is set to be Audi's contribution to the world of electric vehicles. The automaker has recently held an event in Namibia's salt slats and savanna, where the SUV's all-wheel-drive system was tested to see how it would perform under very demanding conditions.
In a video of the event, the E-Tron can be seen taking tight corner's in the Kalahari Desert. While few people who buy this SUV are likely to take it for a drive in African deserts, this video Audi E Tron review is made to show that the vehicle can handle various environments and challenging driving conditions. The desert sand has a similar feel to driving on tightly-packed snow, which is something many drivers will encounter. Even though the vehicle that was tested during the event was still technically a concept car, it had a real E-Tron drivetrain in it, so its performance is likely to be quite similar to what consumers can expect to get when they buy the car.
The Audi E Tron battery supplies power to two electric motors, allowing the vehicle to get more precise control than with a mechanically-linked drivetrain. The E-Tron uses highly advanced electronic sensors to decide how much power each wheel should receive, as opposed to using differentials, a transfer case and transmission lie most other cars. Applying a variable amount of power to each wheel is called torque vectoring and has been shown to improve the vehicle's performance in corners, in addition to increasing stability.
According to the Audi E Tron specs, the vehicle is able to produce 300 horsepower and 414 pound-feed of torque in its normal driving mode. However, it also has a "boost mode" that is capable of increasing its total power output to 402 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque. This mode can be activated for eight seconds at a time, though it isn't known how long the driver will have to wait between boosts.
There are several other performance-oriented features in the Audi E-Tron. One of them is launch control, which was also tested in the recent event. This function allows the driver to preload the electric motors for takeoff by holding down the brake and gas pedals together. During the demonstration, the Audi E Tron SUV was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 without too much slippage, even in terrain that is rather slick.
With the Audi E-Tron, the automaker seems to have put in a lot of thought about how its latest drivetrain should feel. The SUV's performance motor has been placed in the rear, which allows the driver to request a rear-wheel bias. Placing the vehicle in sport mode or disabling traction control allows the driver in the demonstration video to engage in a smooth and controlled powerslide across the desert sand.
Audi has been very proud of its Quattro concept for many years and has received a lot of praise for designing a truly high-performance all-wheel-drive system. While the Audi E Tron price isn't yet known, one thing that is certain is that fact that the automaker put in a lot of effort to create an innovative all-electric SUV with a unique non-mechanical drivetrain. The German automaker is known to pioneer technical advancements in its vehicles and always holds true to its trademark slogan "Advancement Through Technology."