We learned a few months ago that Audi’s second all-electric vehicle will be a large sedan called the e-tron GT. Audi may have just revealed its 2019 e-tron SUV, but it’s wasting no time with its second offering, a direct competitor to the Tesla Model S and, in a way, the also not yet revealed Porsche Taycan. Thing is, both the Taycan and e-tron GT will have something in common: genes.
According to Autocar, the e-tron GT will ride on the same J1 platform as the Taycan, which makes sense because both brands fall under the VW Group umbrella. Audi’s technical development chief Ulrich Widmann has confirmed the e-tron GT will “get some genes from Porsche and a lot of Audi genes.”
But unlike the e-tron SUV, the e-tron GT will have one significant difference, apart from body style: the GT is slated to be Audi’s first electric vehicle to get a ‘flat-floor solution’ instead of the ‘high-floor solutions’ utilized with the e-tron SUV and also upcoming e-tron Sportback. Another big difference from the SUVs is that the GT will be capable of 350kW fast charging. In other words, it’ll be able to charge up to 80 percent of its battery in only 12 minutes, or less. It's all about power.
While the e-tron SUV has been designed to be a comfortable and extremely capable daily driver with the typical Audi driving feel and appeal, the e-tron GT is being described as “highly dynamic” with a greater focus on performance driving.
To us, that description sounds an awful lot like what the Taycan will be all about, but then again Porsche and Audi have already managed to carve out unique driving and performance personalities for themselves. It makes sense for this carry over to the upcoming EVs. And speaking of EVs, don’t think for a moment that the e-Tron SUV, Sportback, and GT will be Audi’s only EVs. Quite the opposite. By 2025, the German automaker plans to have at least 10 EVs on the road.
As was done with Tesla, high-end models will arrive first and then more affordable and likely smaller EVs will arrive. We’ll be getting a clearer preview of the Audi e-tron GT at the LA Auto Show late next month where it’s expected to be previewed in concept form.
