Audi E-Tron Electric SUV unveiled today; check price and specs

The German luxury car brand staged the global launch of the new electric sport utility vehicle on the home turf of rival Tesla Inc, highlighting a deal with Amazon.com Inc to make recharging its forthcoming e-tron models easier, said a Reuters report. The Audi e-tron midsize SUV will be offered in the United States next year at a starting price of $75,795 before a $7,500 tax credit. Image source: Reuters

The latest launch aims at expanding the market for premium electric vehicles and also to grab share of that market from Palo Alto, California-based Tesla. "I want Audi to be the number-one electric vehicle seller in America over the long term," Audi of America President Scott Keogh told Reuters. Image source: Reuters

Audi will partner with Amazon to sell and install home electric vehicle charging systems to buyers of the e-tron. 
Audi executives reportedly said that home charging stations would cost about $1,000, depending on the home`s electrical system. Image source: Reuters

Audi has been heralding the launch of the e-tron SUV for some time, but until Monday it had not shared many details of the vehicle. The e-tron is electric, and has two electric motors - one in the front and one in the rear - driving all four wheels. Image source: Reuters

The e-tron is a conventional, mainstream luxury SUV, offering seating for five. Its length and wheelbase position is in the center of the market for midsize, five-passenger luxury SUVs such as the BMW X5. Image source: Reuters

The e-tron is 5 inches (13 cm) shorter than the Tesla Model X, and has conventional doors. The e-tron will have an advanced cruise-control system that can keep the car within a lane and maintain a set distance behind another vehicle, but the system will be designed so that drivers must keep hands on the wheel. Image source: IANS