Audi to Open E-Tron Pre-Orders for US in September

This will be the automaker’s first of three electric vehicles that hits the road by 2020.

byRob Stumpf|
Audi to Open E-Tron Pre-Orders for US in September
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Audi's newest upcoming electric SUV, dubbed the E-Tron, will be made available to pre-order for U.S. customers beginning mid-September. The German automobile manufacturer confirmed Wednesday that it will be hosting an event to showcase the completed car in San Francisco which will kickoff pre-order availability for the SUV.

The unveiling in California will be the first public showcase of the all-electric SUV outside the select few events which the Audi has attended, albeit garbed in camouflage. Though we've seen some of the cool gadgets and features of the E-Tron's interior earlier this month during an event in Copenhagen, such as Audi's sleek virtual mirrors, we have yet to get a good luck at the fully-exposed exterior of the electric utility vehicle. Fortunately, that will all change Sep. 17.

Along with the unveiling, Audi will release details regarding the future model of its vehicle purchasing program. The process, much like popular domestic electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, will involve placing a $1,000 refundable deposit on the vehicle to effectively reserve an E-Tron and allow the future owners to track the manufacturing progress of their new car online or with their dealer. More details are expected to be provided at the event, alongside announcements regarding the company's shift to electric and how it plans to support future customers with solutions for in-home charging and other electric mobility services alongside its 303 dealer partners across the United States.

“We’re introducing a premium, customer-centric vehicle in a premium, customer-centric way,” wrote Audi America's President, Scott Keogh, “With our owners and our dealers, this process allows us to offer transparency from reservation and build all the way through delivery.”

Final specifications of the E-Tron are still in question, but what we do know is that buyers should expect a slightly less than anticipated range for the E-Tron, something which is speculated to be reduced to 248 miles per charge instead of the 310 miles which consumers were hoping for. Fortunately, Audi's battery technology is said to be able to fast charge to 80 percent in only half an hour when using a 150 kilowatt charger.

This event, which was previously schedule to take place at the end of August in Belgium, however was delayed due to Audi CEO Rupert Stadler's arrest in the ongoing emissions tampering investigation across the Volkswagen AG brands. Diselgate, alongside the requirement from many modern countries to oust vehicles powered by fossil fuels, are seemingly one of the top factors for many Germany brands to heavily invest in the electrification of their respective fleets. Audi reports that this is the first of its three fully electric vehicles that will be available to purchase by 2020 and expects nearly 30 percent of its customers to convert to electrification by 2025.

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