Audi e-tron will be available with side-view cameras

Audi has revealed more details about its upcoming e-tron, this time focusing on the electric SUV’s aerodynamics. Once again, a prototype is shown to us (a near production-ready unit), as it undergoes testing at a wind tunnel facility in Ingolstadt.

As part of its testing regime, the e-tron prototype was put through 1,000 hours of testing there, where it endured wind speeds of up to 300 km/h. The goal was to minimise vehicle drag while maximising comfort, even under extreme conditions.

According to Audi, the e-tron prototype achieved a top result in the SUV segment with a drag coefficient of 0.28. The low figure contributes decisively to the vehicle’s range of more than 400 km following the WLTP cycle.

A wide range of aerodynamic features are present across the e-tron’s body to deliver this performance, starting with a fully enclosed underbody. An aluminium plate underneath the passenger cell helps protect the vehicle’s battery against damage, and mounting points have bowl-shaped indentations that are similar to dimples on a golf ball for better air flow beneath the vehicle.

Streamline: Audi e-tron prototype with decisive aerodynamics

The e-tron can also be specified with optional side-view cameras, or “virtual exterior mirrors,” making the e-tron the first Audi to benefit from them. Narrower than standard wing mirrors, they reduce the vehicle’s width by 15 cm and are shaped to slice through the air better. The video feed from the small cameras are channelled to OLED displays inside, and drivers can choose from three views in the MMI system – for highway driving, turning and parking.

Other items include a controllable cool-air inlet behind the Singleframe grille with two electrically operated louvres that open and close depending on the situation. Another set of inlets present on the vehicle sides lead to the wheel arches so that the airstream flows past the outside of the 19-inch wheels.

The wheels themselves are flatter than conventional ones, aerodynamically optimised (the lettering is negative instead of raised) and are wrapped with low-resistance 255/55 profile tyres. Meanwhile. the e-tron’s standard adaptive air suspension contributes to aerodynamics by lowering the body by up to 26 mm when travelling at speeds above 120 km/h.

GALLERY: Audi e-tron prototype

: The Audi e-tron prototype offers a preview of the first purely electrically powered model from the brand. The SUV combines a roomy interior with a range capable of covering long distances.

: The expressive sills with orange inserts show the location of the battery and therefore the energy center of the car.

: The Audi e-tron prototype illustrates electrification with a specially developed design film. The “e” at the bonnet is literally electrifying

: The distorted e-tron lettering stretches across the entire flank, as if it was charged with electricity.

: Mimicking the high-voltage grid, orange elements illustrate the fact that the Audi e-tron prototype is fully electric – the lower part of the car, for example, is encircled with alternating orange and black segments.

: The Audi e-tron prototype offers a preview of the first purely electrically powered model from the brand. The production version of the SUV launches on the European market at the end of 2018.