Audi USA Drops Fledgling 2021 e-tron Price 9G's And Adds 18 More Miles Of Range. Does ANYONE Care At This Point?

Let's see, what mainstream auto site was the ONLY one to predict that the Audi e-tron would FLOP in the USA. Oh, that would be us.

Why did we think that SO early on?

Well, we don't have three hours but in a nutshell, disappointing range (virtually everything to potential buyers) and who wants to pay almost 100k for a product that looks like a fifteen year old All-Road?

Then, enter COVID which of course, makes the sales prospects even worse.

So what is there response to fix the underperformance? They just dropped the price $9k (still massively overpriced) and somehow milked another 18 miles of range out of it.

So tell us Spies, does anyone believe this model has ANY chance of ever becoming a real sales winner?

Especially just after one of their execs told the world they're at LEAST two years behind Tesla (more like 5-7).

Audi E-Tron poor sales exposed by Auto Spies

Spies discuss...

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CANADIANCOMMENTS - 8/5/2020 10:57:30 PM

+3 Boost

Giving it a useless coupe body style was mistake number one. Something practical would have been a better bet. I don't think these changes will matter much at all.

vdiv - 8/6/2020 6:27:58 PM

+2 Boost

Why is it a mistake? The SUV waggon body style remains as an option and the sportsback adds the advantage of a lower weight, better aerodynamics, and better looks for some while giving up a little bit of space.

SanJoseDriver - 8/6/2020 12:24:41 AM

+3 Boost

Now that the Model Y is out and easily accessible (probably just a 2-4 week wait) this is not enough. You can pay $70k-80k for an e-tron with 222 miles of range, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, and no hope of full autonomy in the future. You can get a fully loaded Performance Model Y for $60k, 300 miles of range, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds or less, track mode, more interior space, and eventual autonomy. The e-tron has no chance.

If I was Audi, I would go all out and either use the Taycan powertrain or perhaps a next gen 3 or 4 motor design to try to get acceleration in the high 2 second range. That might justify the current price. They could also do a double stacked battery to give it over 400 miles of range, which would definitely help differentiate it as no SUV has broken that barrier yet. What they are doing now is just stupid and a waste of their resources.

I

SanJoseDriver - 8/6/2020 12:30:40 AM

+3 Boost

To add to that, here is a new video that came out recently showing a Model Y keeping up with Porshce GT3s on the the track: https://insideevs.com/news/437436/model-y-beats-porsches-race/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=RSS-all-articles

USNA1999 - 8/6/2020 7:38:25 AM

+3 Boost

Not sure Porsche GT3 buyers will be running out and swapping their cars for any Teslas. My neighborhood is getting swamped with Model 3s and Ys, when you see the people driving them you know these are more like Camry, Accord, Lexus RX/ES, MB Cs and BMW 3s buyers.
Any EV will be faster than an ICE car, that is a fact. Not sure why we continue to compare 0 to 60 times.
As for this Audi or any other manufacturer trying to compete against Tesla, until they can match or exceed the range for the price, there will be no threat to Tesla. I love the Taycan but it is too high priced for me given that you can get a Model S for half the price and similar performance with less range.

SanJoseDriver - 8/7/2020 8:47:32 PM

+1 Boost

Any EV won't be faster than an ICE car, look up the Leaf and Kona which are both great mass-market cars. Comment is more that it is impressive that a Model Y (which will become Telsa's top seller) can even keep up with an exotic sportscar. Even I'll say that I'll take the GT3 given the choice, but you have to admin the value on the Model Y is pretty insane.

MDarringer - 8/6/2020 9:28:36 AM

0 Boost

$58.4K is a good base price BUT this being Audi it will cha-ching, cha-ching upward rapidly. If Audi lowered the base price AND radically cut the cost on the add-on packages, THAT would have been something.

But Audi botched the entire Etron franchise by starting with a car that is massively overpriced and has an embarrassingly terrible range. Styling also let Etron down. Audi's bold new styling under Marc Lichte is the same old styling from 20 years ago with more chrome.

cidflekken - 8/6/2020 11:50:00 AM

+2 Boost

Maybe they needed a racy ad to sell it. Oh, they failed that already, too.

vdiv - 8/6/2020 6:30:23 PM

+2 Boost

Audi may not be moving fast enough with improving their e-tron, but they ARE moving. I wouldn't discount their efforts, I would encourage them.