Price and range showdown – Electric cars taking on the Audi e-tron in South Africa

Audi’s e-tron range will be available in South Africa from the first quarter of 2022, with reservations for the all-electric vehicles now open.

Locally, interested motorists have a choice between six specifications – including two standard SUVs, two Sportback SUVs, and two “four-door coupes”.

The SUVs are fitted with a 95kWh battery, while the coupes come with a 93.4kWh unit. These connect to electric motors that drive both the front and rear wheels.

The official power and range statistics for Audi’s new electric cars are detailed below.

To make public charging more accessible for prospective e-tron owners, Audi has partnered with GridCars to provide access to over 280 “universal charge point connectors” across the country.

Additionally, customers who buy an e-tron will receive a complimentary industrial home-charging socket to the value of R5,000 – with additional charging options also available directly from Audi.

Pricing

The South African pricing for the electric Audi e-tron line-up is:

• Audi e-tron 55 Quattro Advanced – R1,990,000
• Audi e-tron 55 Quattro S Line – R2,045,000
• Audi e-tron Sportback 55 Quattro S Line – R2,115,000
• Audi e-tron S Sportback Quattro – R2,425,000
• Audi e-tron GT Quattro – R2,715,000
• Audi RS e-tron GT Quattro – R3,300,000

Each purchase includes a 5-year/100,000km Audi Freeway Plan and an 8-year/160,000km battery warranty.

The market

The electric car segment is one of the smallest vehicle categories in South Africa, but is poised to grow in the coming years.

Brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and VW have committed to launching an array of battery-powered cars locally, starting from the first quarter of 2022.

The Audi e-tron range will therefore not only have to compete with what is currently on the market – but also with what’s coming next year.

Detailed below are the electric vehicles which the new Audi e-tron models will go up against in South Africa.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge Twin AWD

• Starting price – R1,200,000
• Power – 300kW/660Nm
• Range – 418km
• 0-100km/h – 4.9 seconds

Jaguar I-Pace EV400 AWD S Black

• Starting price – R1,999,900
• Power – 294kW/696Nm
• Range – 470km
• 0-100km/h – 4.8 seconds

Porsche Taycan

• Starting price – R2,262,000
• Power – 300-560kW/345-1,050Nm
• Range – 407-504km
• 0-100km/h – 2.8-5.4 seconds

Coming in 2022

BMW i4 M50

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 400kW/795Nm
• Range – 521km
• 0-100km/h – 3.9 seconds
• Release date – Q1 2022

BMW iX

• Starting price – R1,650,000
• Power – 385kW/765Nm
• Range – 630km
• 0-100km/h – 4.6 seconds
• Release date – Q1 2022

BMW iX3

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 210kW/400Nm
• Range – 460km
• 0-100km/h – 6.8 seconds
• Release date – Q1 2022

Mercedes-Benz EQA

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 140kW/375Nm
• Range – 493km
• 0-100km/h – 8.9 seconds
• Release date – April 2022

Mercedes-Benz EQB

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 168-215kW/390-520Nm (German specifications)
• Range – 419km (German specifications)
• 0-100km/h – 6.2-8.0 seconds (German specifications)
• Release date – April 2022

Mercedes-Benz EQE

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 215kW/530Nm (German specifications)
• Range – 660km (German specifications)
• 0-100km/h – 6.0 seconds (German specifications)
• Release date – April 2022

Mercedes-Benz EQS

• Starting price – Not yet announced
• Power – 245kW/568Nm (German specifications)
• Range – 780km (German specifications)
• 0-100km/h – 6.2 seconds (German specifications)
• Release date – April 2022