Petrol-engined versions will wear A5 nameplate
Tesla Model 3 rival will slot into the firm’s growing E-tron range and get 510bhp S4 version
The Audi A4 will make the switch to an all-electric powertrain, three decades after its introduction, as the Ingolstadt brand gears up to contend with BMW, Mercedes, Tesla and a raft of new disruptors in the crucial electric executive segment.
Due on sale towards the end of 2025, the electric A4 will be sold alongside a new-generation combustion equivalent – evolved from today’s car but wearing the A5 nameplate in line with Audi’s new naming strategy, which allocates even numbers to EVs.
The electric car will be marketed clearly as a stand-alone product, despite its similar footprint and positioning, with a design that closely matches that of the A6 and Q6 E-tron EVs with which it shares Audi’s and Porsche’s new co-developed PPE architecture.
Audi technical boss Oliver Hoffmann has told Autocar that switching to the new platform means the firm’s upcoming EVs “have great proportions, which makes our designers very happy”.
Short overhangs, low-slung bodywork and rakish glasshouses will be defining features of the new E-tron family. This will obviously mark out the A4 E-tron – set to be available in saloon and estate forms – from its more subtly overhauled fuel-burning A5 sibling.
Following in the footsteps of the Q6, which will arrive in early 2024 as the spearhead of Audi’s new line of bespoke EVs, it will bring significant technical advances compared with the marque’s current electric cars. Most notable among these will be a new-generation battery sited between the axles, with a usable capacity of around 100kWh.
Based on the fact that the A4 will be inherently lower, sleeker and lighter than its 373-mile Q6 SUV sibling, it should be good for a maximum range of nearly 400 miles.
Equipped with 800V charging hardware as standard, the A4 E-tron will be able to top up at a maximum 270kW – double the speed of the current, MEB-based Q4 E-tron. This will allow for around 155 miles of range to be added in just 10 minutes.
The new nickel-manganese-cobalt battery comprises 15 individual prismatic cells, arranged to maximise space usage within the floorpan and boost interior space while optimising energy density. Equally instrumental in optimising the PPE architecture’s endurance credentials is a new approach to electronic management.
Silicon-carbide semiconductors are used throughout the wiring structure of PPE-based cars, chosen for their lower heat emissions and thus reduced energy wastage. In addition, the new electric motors have square-section stator wiring, which eliminates the microscopic wasted spaces between each winding on conventional round wires.
Hot versions
The electric A4 is expected to be launched with a familiar spread of variants, ranging from an entry-level, rear-driven A4 45 E-tron to a four-wheel-drive twin-motor A4 55 E-tron that should match the equivalent Q6 with 396bhp and a sub-6.0sec 0-62mph time.
Above that, a hot S4 E-tron is tipped to ramp total output to 510bhp in its most potent setting – substantially more power than even today’s V6-engined RS4 Competition makes – to cut the 0-62mph sprint time to nearer 4.0sec.
In addition, Volkswagen Group boss Oliver Blume’s plan to “put more focus on the RS brand” over the coming years means a hardcore RS4 E-tron is unlikely to be far behind.
Recently departed Audi Sport boss Sebastian Grams told Autocar that RS-badged EVs will have their own “special character”. This will come courtesy of outlandish design cues that mark them out clearly from the standard cars on which they are based, distinctive acceleration soundtracks and bespoke powertrain set-ups that exploit the lofty reserves of these hot range-toppers.
Inside, the A4 will take its lead from the Q6 E-tron SUV, with a ‘human-centric’ arrangement based around a trio of high-definition screens, including a stand-alone touchscreen in front of the passenger, which lets them input routes and select music, for example.
It is likely to be offered with the same augmented reality head-up display as the Q6 and a cross-cabin LED lighting system that greets occupants and shows the state of charge when the car is plugged in.
As for pricing, the electric A4 will no doubt command a premium over the same-sized petrol car, reflecting its billing as an alternative to the likes of the BMW i4 and Mercedes EQE. Expect a starting price at around the £50,000 mark and for the hot S4 to nudge towards the mid-£60,000s.
