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How will you be getting around in 2023? If you’re planning to buy one of the new electric Audis, VWs or Porsches, you may have trouble finding them on the market in 2023 – at least if they’re anything like they are now. Since these brands are making great strides in their electrification efforts, many people expect that by 2022 only 10% of their vehicles will be powered by combustion engines. And the way things are going, this may just happen. Here’s why you won’t be able to buy an electric VW, Audi or Porsche in 2022.
Introducing the E-Tron Quattro concept
Audi’s newest concept vehicle, the E-Tron Quattro, is a zero-emission SUV that will be able to drive over 400 miles on a single charge. The E-Tron Quattro is only a concept vehicle at this time and has not been announced as production ready. Audi and Porsche both plan on releasing their first electric vehicles in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Considering the technology used by these two companies and the fact that they are relatively late entrants into the EV space means that it is likely neither company will be able to produce enough vehicles for mass market release by 2022.
The E-Tron GT – A preview of things to come?
Audi’s next-generation electric vehicle is a preview of things to come. The company’s first all-electric model will compete with the Tesla Model S sedan and the Jaguar I-Pace crossover SUV.
The E-Tron GT concept is a four door sports car with a range of 250 miles and performance that’ll rival some of the best cars on the market today.
It features two electric motors that produce a combined 496 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. It can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds without any turbo lag thanks to instant torque delivery from the electric motors.
The future belongs to range extenders
Range extenders are the future of electric vehicles. That’s the prediction from Stefan Juraszek, who was until recently head of Audi’s e-mobility program and is now executive vice president at Porsche. Range extenders are also known as plug-in hybrids because they can be charged using a power socket and driven on battery power alone for a certain distance – say 30 kilometers (19 miles) – before switching over to the internal combustion engine. But unlike traditional hybrids which have both engines running all the time, range extenders only use electricity when it’s available, saving energy on gas and reducing emissions. The result is that a car like the Audi Q5, once rated around 6 km (3.7 miles) on battery power alone but with a range extender can cover nearly 400 km (248 miles).
How the E-Tron Quattro compares with other EVs
The E-Tron Quattro has a range of about 248 miles on a single charge. The Tesla Model S 75D offers approximately 295 miles with its 75 kWh battery. The EPA estimates that the e-tron will have a combined fuel economy rating of around 26 mpg, while the Tesla is rated at 33 mpge (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent). If you are looking for a car that can offer more than 300 miles on a single charge and still be able to beat most gas-powered cars out there, then the E-Tron Quattro may not be your best choice. With that said, we know many people who love this SUV and it will likely still be an amazing purchase. But if you’re considering buying an electric Audi or Porsche in 2022, you should probably forget about it.
How much will it cost?
The goal is to hit a price of €30,000 by 2025. However, the price of a VW e-Golf has risen from €34,600 when it was first introduced in 2014. German manufacturers have also been working on electric vehicles for over a decade with little success. In fact, you can forget about buying an electric Audi or Porsche in 2022 due to the company’s stance on diesel and their reluctance to switch over quickly. Audi will instead invest heavily in alternative powertrains, such as hybrid vehicles. You may not be able to buy a new car next year that runs on battery power, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great cars out there that you might want to consider.
What are its rivals?
Volkswagen has been the leader in electric cars and has promised that starting in 2020 they will release at least one new electric vehicle each year. However, Volkswagen’s rivals are not standing still. German car manufacturer BMW is aiming for 25% of its vehicles to be electrically powered by 2025. And Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group, also plans on releasing more electric vehicles soon. With so many competitors coming out with new models and innovations it is doubtful that VW will be able to keep up with demand without sacrificing quality.
Is this Tesla’s secret weapon?
Volkswagen has announced that it plans to stop making diesel cars by 2026 and will start producing electric vehicles instead. However, VW is a German company and so all of its electric vehicles will have a German license plate. The trouble with this is that they’ll be unable to sell these cars in China because Chinese law dictates that only locally-made vehicles can be sold there. This means that consumers won’t be able to buy any new Volkswagens at all by the time 2025 rolls around, let alone their new electric cars. So while their strategy may seem like the right one now, it’s unlikely it’ll work out as planned.
