Audi unveils Q4 e-tron concept, SUV deliveries delayed

Audi has taken the competition in the electric cars segment seriously as the luxury carmaker has shown off a series of concept designs for the Q4 e-Tron ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. Meanwhile, the carmaker has been experiencing a delay in the deliveries of e-Tron all-electric SUV, which remained a major concern for the customers and investors.

Audi has provided a glimpse of the next electric mobility. The company has planned to give a stiff fight to Tesla (TSLA) and other key players in the e-mobility segment. The production of the third electric vehicle is likely to start next year and deliveries could begin in early 2021. The Audi’s latest weapon will be competing against Tesla Model Y, electric Volvo XC40, other variants from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Meanwhile, Audi has reportedly announced that the advance reservations for the e-Tron all-electric SUV have reached more than 20,000 worldwide with a delivery date set for a few months afterward, according to Electrek. The deliveries of the first electric vehicle were delayed from last year due to software issues. The automaker has planned to start the deliveries in March for Europe and in the second quarter for North America.

The delay in deliveries has been creating concerns among the customers and investors as production has started about five months ago. The current e-Tron version is equipped to run over 200 miles of range with a 95 kWh battery pack under its hood. In the US, the premium SUV is priced at $74,800 before incentives.

The third Q4 e-Tron could have the three battery choices strategy, which was planned for the Volkswagen I.D. lineup. Auto experts believe that the base model is likely to have a 48-kWh battery with around 200 miles of range while the premium model could have a battery to run more than 300 miles.

During last week, Audi announced that it delivered around 144,650 cars to customers worldwide in January, down 3% year-on-year due to the decrease in sales in the European region. The company has hinted that the topic of electrification, in particular, will take center stage. Audi would be starting three all-electric models and substantially expanding its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle portfolio.

The all-electric models include the e-Tron Sportback and the Q2 L e-Tron for the Chinese market, which is in addition to the Audi e-Tron. Audi’s Marketing and Sales division operations in-charge Martin Sander said the company will be unveiling new plug-in hybrid models at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Audi of America closed January down 1.8%, with 14,253 models sold. The government shutdown along with transport problems and the winter weather created havoc for the company. In the North America region, the company delivered around 16,900 premium automobiles, 5.2% less than a year ago.

Tesla could remain less concerned on the competition front as Audi’s delay in deliveries could attract customers towards its lineup. The market has been speculating that Tesla’s Model Y, which is a crossover counterpart to the entry-level Model 3 sedan and baby Model X, would be showcased on March 15 as Elon Musk has tweeted that date out.

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