Next-generation Audi A4 goes electric with 400 miles / 640 km range and over 500 hp in performance version

This is the end of the road for the Audi A4 as we know it. The A4 will switch to an all-electric powertrain three decades after its introduction, reports Autocar.

Audi is preparing the A4 for a battle with BMW's i3 or Tesla's Model 3. The Ingolstadt-based company is planning to launch a zero-emission A4 alongside the internal combustion engine variants, starting with the next generation of the model. Derived from the A4, it will actually be called the A5, according to the brand's new naming strategy.

The car will reportedly be available as a sedan and a wagon. The upcoming A4 should be underpinned by the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture jointly developed by Audi and Porsche, on which both the A6 e-tron and the Q6 e-tron are based. The first Porsche to receive the PPE will be the electric Macan.

The model will get a new-generation battery pack with a usable capacity of 100 kWh, installed between the axles. As reported by Autocar, the upcoming electric A4 will get a better range than its SUV sibling, the Q6 e-tron, with a WLTP-rated range of 373 miles (600 kilometers). Considering that it is lighter, lower and sleeker, its range should be somewhere around 400 miles (644 kilometers).

The zero-emission Audi A4 will be equipped with 800V charging hardware as standard. This means that it will be capable of a maximum charging speed of 270 kW, which is twice as fast as the Q4 e-tron, which is based on the older MEB architecture.

As a result, the future A4 should be able to charge enough for about 155 miles (250 kilometers) in just 10 minutes. It will get the new nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, which integrates 15 individual prismatic cells arranged so as not to compromise on cabin space or trunk volume.

The lineup should get an entry-level rear-wheel drive A4 45 e-tron with 261 horsepower (265 PS) and 313 lb-ft (425 Nm). At the other end of the lineup, there should be the A4 55 e-tron dual-engine all-wheel drive with 402 horsepower (408 PS) and 489 lb-ft (664 Nm).

Audi will roll out a sportier version, an S4 e-tron with over 500 horsepower that should be able to do the 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in about 4.0 seconds. An even more powerful version, called the RS4 e-tron, may also appear later.

The new-generation A4 is expected to be unveiled in about two years. The model is expected to go into production in mid-2025 and hit the market before the end of the year.

Source: Autocar