Audi e-tron Ready for New Year Charge

Audi’s new electric SUV, the e-tron, will be available to order from January 2019, with the first deliveries scheduled to take place in the Spring of 2019.

Pricing for the e-tron, including a four-year service plan, starts from an on-the-road cost of €101,750 - exclusive of government grants (see notes below).  Audi Ireland is also continuing to offer an online pre-registration tool where customers can leave a refundable €2,000 deposit to be one of the first to order this electric SUV ahead of delivery in early 2019.   

Propulsion for this full-size Sports Utility Vehicle is via a 95kWh high voltage battery, capable of covering more than 400 kilometres on one charge. With two virtually silent electric motors, delivering up to 300kW, the Audi e-tron electrical quattro provides the economy of electricity without sacrificing on power, the dual electric motors ensuring there is no lag between acceleration and launch.

A new generation of the quattro drive, the electric all-wheel drive, ensures excellent traction and dynamics. It provides for continuous and variable regulation of the ideal distribution of drive torques between the two axles – all within a fraction of a second.

The 2019 Audi e-tron can attain up to 30 per cent of this long range through energy recuperation. The SUV combines three different methods of energy recuperation in one vehicle for the first time. With manual coasting using the shift paddles, automatic coasting via the predictive efficiency assist, and brake recuperation, the Audi e-tron embodies the cutting edge of driving efficiency. 

The e-tron’s specs include, two-zone air conditioning, heated front seats with a memory function, LED interior lighting and adaptive air suspension driver and passenger comfort is guaranteed. Inside, the e-tron’s carries Audi’s signature suite of connected digital tools. The electric SUV runs MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch Response as standard, with the Audi smartphone interface.

E-tron driving technology includes front and rear sensors with a reversing camera, electric folding mirrors with memory and dimming functions, alongside the Audi virtual cockpit deliver 360-degree awareness.

Thorsten Godulla, Managing Director, Audi Ireland said: “We’re really excited that our Irish customers will have the opportunity to experience a piece of the future in the shape of the Audi e-tron from Spring 2019. It’s an historic time for Audi with the launch of our first fully electric model.  I know that sustainability is increasingly important to Irish drivers, and so I’m delighted to offer Audi’s first all-electric full-size SUV to the Irish market”     

For more information visit audi.ie

EV Grants and Incentives

There are several grants and incentives available for driving and owning electric vehicles. There are differences in some areas for Business users and Private users.

• Owners of plug in Hybrid and full electric vehicles can apply to ESB eCARS for an access card to the public network of charge points. This allows them to avail of free public charging.
• Some local authorities also allow for free parking when charging
• Battery electric vehicles have an annual road tax of €120.
• An electric vehicle tolling incentive, in place until 2022, will provide up to €500 annually in toll savings for electric private passenger vehicles.

There are also several formal government grant and rebate programmes that of which owners of electric vehicles can avail:

• The Home Charger Installation Grant: a €600 grant in place until the end of 2020, designed to assist with the cost of fitting a charger at home.
• A Vehicle Registration Tax rebate of €5,000.
• An SEAI Grant of between €3,800 for businesses and €5,000 for private customers.
• Accelerated Capital Allowance of up to 100% of capital expenditure during the first year of energy efficient equipment purchase
• An exemption from Benefit in Kind for battery electric business vehicles for 3-5 years on all costs in excess of €50,000.

See seai.ie for full details.