A3 Etron

[0396]

Other than the press release, are there any actual owner experience out there? Especially if Audi might have released this A3 Etron in Europe already. Looking for a possible purchase of the A3 Etron.
Thanks in advance for your reply.

[RobPaul]

Well, I have had mine since March 6th! Have 750 miles on it, and used 3/4 of a tank, which holds only 10 gallons! I love it!

[0396]

Thanks for sharing your view. Oh, which engine option did you get?
Enjoy your week.

[RobPaul]

The A3 e-tron in the US (and EU as well) only has one power train option. A 1.4L turbo 4, plus an integrated 102 HP electric motor that is internal to the 6 speed DSG transmission. It will go ~17-20 miles in pure electric vehicle (EV) mode, then kicks in the 1.4L engine as needed. Really, the car chooses the best way to get an average of 87MPG-e in the EPA test measures. 0-60 acceleration is a feisty 7.6 secs! Look here: https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-a3-sportback-e-tron
Cheers,

Rob

[0396]

Thanks again for the info. With the Etron, does one have to have an 220v outlet in the garage to charge it up every night?

[0396]

Never mind, I just read up on the charging info on the line you provided. I tried to surf the Audi USA site and couldn't find the info.
Enjoy a successful week

[RobPaul]

No, the car includes a charger unit (about the size of a loaf of bread) that can be powered by a normal 110 V plug, or a 220V one. The only difference is that at 110V it takes 8 hours to charge the car, but at 220V, it takes only 2 1/4 hours. I plug it into a 220V plug in the garage.

[0396]

If I do purchase one, I guess I will have to han an 220 outlet installed in the garage. The other car I was considering is the new 2017 Model Three from Tesla.
Since I've been an Audi owner since my 87 Q, and my existing 2004 S/4...Im leaning towards the Audi.
Thanks again for your assistance.
Enjoy a successful week

[e-strong]

What types of info are you looking for? I've had my e-tron since January.

It is basically an A3 hybrid with a sportback. From the driver's seat, the only visual change is that you lose the tachometer gauge on the left of the instrument cluster and get a pretty useless guess-o-meter in its place.

Electric range varies considerably depending on weather (cold eats capacity), traffic (stop and go doesn't help), and your driving style (aggressive means less range). My best electric "tank mileage" is around 27 miles/43 km in 70º F/21º C temps. About half that when temps are around freezing. The North American model gets less range than in other markets around the world, Audi apparently reprogrammed things to leave more of a reserve in place to account for aging of the battery pack over time.

You don't have to get a 220 outlet in the garage, the supplied charger works on 110/120v (about 7-8 hours to fully charge from empty). I'm looking at getting a 220/240v dedicated charger installed to get rid of having the charger control unit (that large loaf of bread RobPaul mentioned) on the ground. Audi's wall mount is too big and bulky for me.

I'm still getting used to the design quirks of an Audi but it sounds like you are a long time Audi driver so those shouldn't be an issue.

One advantage to buying the Audi is that you can actually take delivery on an e-tron today and will get the $4k federal tax credit. With less than 1,000 units sold through the end of March, it will be a while before Audi sells 200,000 hybrids and full electrics and loses the tax credit.

[0396]

Thank you for such a detailed evaluation of your Etron.
Especially the tax credits and the cold weather zapping the range of e mode travel.
Enjoy your weekend.

[roadrunner_oz]

Electric cars saving the planet?... where do people think the electricity comes from... usually from burning coal. Really need Hydrogen powered cars like BMW was tryring to do. Also the environmental impact of producing batteries for these cars is huge!

[CbutterK]

Electric cars saving the planet?... where do people think the electricity comes from... usually from burning coal. Really need Hydrogen powered cars like BMW was tryring to do. Also the environmental impact of producing batteries for these cars is huge!

I wish Audi did a real BEV version with 200+ mile range, as opposed to this "maybe 27 miles on a good day if all the planets lined up perfectly and it's sunny 78 degrees" bs. Over at Tesla forum, they explain exactly how EV will save the planet. Surprisingly, producing Li batteries are not nearly as bad to the environment as producing electricity via burning coal or other means. Most optimal situation will be to install Solar with Tesla Energy powerpack(Battery storage), then you charge your EV and run your house electricity for free. I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but I did reserve a Tesla Model 3 before the reveal, based on performance potential and cost of ownership. And if in the process I can help the next few generations of people enjoy the outdoors just a little longer before global warming gets unbearable, then so be it. But I think I burn too much gas & E85 at the track right now to make up for it with an EV tho...

[roadrunner_oz]

I wish Audi did a real BEV version with 200+ mile range, as opposed to this "maybe 27 miles on a good day if all the planets lined up perfectly and it's sunny 78 degrees" bs. Over at Tesla forum, they explain exactly how EV will save the planet. Surprisingly, producing Li batteries are not nearly as bad to the environment as producing electricity via burning coal or other means. Most optimal situation will be to install Solar with Tesla Energy powerpack(Battery storage), then you charge your EV and run your house electricity for free. I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but I did reserve a Tesla Model 3 before the reveal, based on performance potential and cost of ownership. And if in the process I can help the next few generations of people enjoy the outdoors just a little longer before global warming gets unbearable, then so be it. But I think I burn too much gas & E85 at the track right now to make up for it with an EV tho...

For me the death of the combustion engine (petrol) will be when I lose passion for motorcycles and cars. There'd just be no point, unless it is like Tron.

[0396]

One of my family members did sign up for a Tesla-3.
They received an email to schedule a test drive... as mentioned above, I wish that the Etron did have a EV range of more than 27 miles on a good day. I've been an Audi fan since my 87 Q....love to stay with the Audi family due to overall quality and handling. But after getting an estimate for a full timing service, 4 shocks, stater, themo, water pump, turn up, and maybe a few items I forgot for my 2004 S4. The estimated came in at 18k from the Audi dealer....it makes me wonder if I should continue with the Brand.

[RudyH]

Electric cars saving the planet?... where do people think the electricity comes from... usually from burning coal. Really need Hydrogen powered cars like BMW was tryring to do. Also the environmental impact of producing batteries for these cars is huge!

I must agree a lot of countries are behind on times. Europe is definitely a world leader, where countries like Germany have moved to green energy, to the point they are even shutting down their nuclear plants as they come for maintenance....the Dutch will have petrol car sales banned by 2025 :
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-new...l-cars-by-2025

Here at home a small percentage of power is still made by fossil fuel, where Canada is a very oil rich country. I will say folks in Alberta are not pleased though with the direction the rest of the country is going.
https://www.cns-snc.ca/media/ontario...ectricity.html

The only gripe is the fine print about the use of electric cars in Canada by Audi. There is an off chance that a cold winter day, the car won't start lol.

Personally I want an A3 Etron, but no Quattro system no sale - just sell it as a VW

[hangtime10]

I've been an admirer of Audi's since the '80s, the UrQuattro being my favourite car and still to this day (the sport Quattro is truly a beast)
With that said, I'm a new owner of an A3 Sportback e-tron and I LOVE it. Yes I agree Quattro is what makes Audis. But so does the technology in the cars they make.
Living in Ontario, we're proud to be nearly 100% clean energy. Range anxiety is an issue for me and that's why I decided on a PHEV vs BEV.
I've only had my e-tron since Feb 27 this year, and to date the readout shows 84% emission free for the 6,000+ kms driven.
My last fillup was on April 26th, drove 1,600 kms since then and still have 1/2 tank remaining. And I've only filled up 5 times since I got my car.
I charge mainly at night (off peak) when the energy costs are lower (8.9 cents / kwh compared to 18.7 at peak hours). If you have access to a charge at work, and I believe the CS infrastructure is much better in FL than here, you'll be saving a lot of $$.

[rfortson]

I figure I'll chime in here. I've had the e-tron since the end of August. Made a couple of road trips in it (where the driving is pretty much like a hybrid) and got around 35-40 mpg on the highway, averaging around 75mph. Around town, where I do 80% of my driving, I've driven mainly on electricity. I charge at night off the 110 in my garage. I can go back and forth to work and out to lunch each day EV only. I filled up about a month ago, I still have half a tank, and I have over 500 miles on the tank. Should easily beat the 60mpg the last tank averaged.

Lots of the reviews out there compare it to a Volt or i3Rex. I did drive the Volt and it's a nice car. A little more cramped in the back and less cargo space. But the price of the Volt compared to the e-tron was too close, and the Audi is a much nicer ride/driving experience. Also, I wouldn't really take advantage of the 53 mile electric range on the Volt as I'm either tooling around Houston ~20 miles at a time, or I'm on a 1500 mile road trip where both cars would be out of battery early in the trip. I look at it like I'm driving an Audi that gets 60-80mpg.

e-tron at Rocket Park-1 by Russ, on Flickr

PA010150 by Russ, on Flickr