Audi launches first locally built EV

Audi started selling its first locally produced full EV, the battery version of the elongated Q2, in China last week as part of its effort to electrify local product lineup. 

The electric compact crossover, known as Q2L e-tron, is priced from 692,800 ($98,410) to 800,800 yuan after government subsidies, the German luxury brand said. 

The vehicle is 4,237 mm (167 inches) long, 1,785 mm wide and 1,458 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,628 mm.

Powered by lithium ion batteries of Chinese supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology, the Q2L e-tron has a range of 265 kilometers (165 miles) on one charge and a top speed of 150 km per hour.

Its electric motor delivers the maximum power of 100 kW and maximum torque of 290 Nm. 

Audi will build its next battery EV product, the e-tron, in China in 2021. The e-tron, a larger crossover than the Q2L e-tron, arrived in the market as an import with a starting price of 692,800 yuan. 

Two other major German luxury brands are also gearing up their efforts to build EVs in China. 

Earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz’s first locally produced EV, the EQC SUV, hit the Chinese market with a starting price of 579,800 yuan. 

BMW brand is due to launch sales of its first China-built battery EV, the iX3, sometime next year.