Audi e-Tron Prototype is the most aerodynamic SUV Audi has made

The Audi e-tron Prototype in Berlin


The more aerodynamic a car is, the more efficient it can slice through air contributing to lower wind resistance, positively affecting the cars fuel economy and refinement. Which is why Audi has spent over 1,000 hours fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the soon-to-be-launched Audi e-Tron Prototype.

The result is an impressively low drag coefficient of 0.28 cd – the lowest ever for an Audi SUV, although the slickest SUV belongs to the Tesla Model X at 0.24 cd. According to Audi, 0.01 cd represents a real-world driving of 4.8 km which explains why the four-rings went to that extent to bring those figures down for the all-electric SUV.

To achieve those figures the engineers have incorporated innovations such as flat underbody with optimised louvres, electronically controlled flaps on the front grille, side air inlets, adaptive air suspension that lowers itself by 26 mm at speeds above 119 km/h for lower drag and the optional virtual exterior mirrors.

The virtual exterior mirrors are cameras that replace the conventional wing mirrors. They reduced the vehicle width by 15 cm contributing to lower drag and cutting wind noise. The images captured are transmitted onto the OLED displays on the A-pillar and drivers can also optimise the cameras to three views – motorway, turning and parking for greater safety.

Audi UK is already taking orders for the over 400 hp all-electric SUV that comes with a triple motor set up with a 95-kWh battery pack. With the new “e-Quattro” all-wheel-drive system, the e-Tron Quattro can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. Audi has also recently revealed that the SUV can be fully charged in just 30 minutes when connected to a high-speed charger.


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