Driving a prototype Audi A3 E-tron electric car, CNET found a vehicle that seems production-ready.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Audi developed the E-tron brand for its electrification efforts, which extend from pure electric cars, such as this A3 E-tron, to its R18 hybrid race car, which took Le Mans by storm this year.
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The electric drivetrain in the A3 E-tron consists of an electric motor driving the car's front wheels, power-control electronics, an inverter, chargers, a single-gear reduction transmission, and a 26.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
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The charging port is a standard J1772 receptor, so could be plugged into any standard charging station. Audi says that, from a 220-volt source, the A3 E-tron takes 7 to 8 hours to charge.
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Audi fits the A3 E-tron with custom wheels, but the real win for Californians is the white sticker, giving it access to HOV lanes.
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The cabin is little changed from a standard A3. The battery pack does not intrude into the passenger space.
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Audi changed the gauges slightly, replacing the tachometer with a power usage gauge. Instead of a fuel gauge, the instrument cluster's two smaller gauges show battery level and remaining range, data that can also be seen on the instrument cluster's LCD.
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The shifter includes a B mode with Drive, Reverse, Neutral, and Park. B maximizes the regenerative braking in the car.
