Audi e-tron electric SUV goes on sale in more European markets

Audi e-tron electric SUV goes on sale in more European markets (e-tron Concept pictured)

The Audi e-tron – Audi’s new electric SV, and rival for the Jaguar i-Pace – has gone on sale in more European markets ahead of its launch later in 2018.

Last year we reported that the Audi e-tron quattro SUV, Audi’s challenge to the Tesla Model X and upcoming Jaguar i-Pace, was already on sale in Norway.

That was a bit surprising as Audi’s electric SUV isn’t due to debut until later this year, but as Norway is the European capital of electric cars it was perhaps unsurprising that Audi wanted to get a jump in such an important market.

It seems the early on-sale in Norway has paid off as Audi has received deposits on 5,000 cars, so now the e-tron has gone on sale in more European markets – Switzerland, Austria and Belgium – where buyers can put down a €2k deposit to secure their place at the top of the e-tron queue.

What those buyers will get still isn’t completely clear, but it will be an electric SUV based on the e-tron Concept we saw in 2016 with a 311 mile range, up to 496bhp, 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and sitting somewhere between the Q5 and Q7 in size. Although it’s likely to cost more than the Q7.

We’re expecting the e-tron – which was originally going to be the Audi Q6 – to be based on the Audi e-tron Concept from the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, with a second , lower riding coupe SUV, to follow based on the Audi e-Tron Sportback Concept we saw in 2017.