We decided to see how The all-electric crossover segment is suddenly heating up. Tesla was first to market with its Model X , and the California-based automaker has a several-year head start on the rest of the field. But now it has competition, with the Jaguar I-Pace already hitting dealerships across the globe and the just-announced Audi E-Tron hot on their heels.We decided to see how Audi's new entrant compares with its British and American rivals, so we downloaded their spec sheets (at least those that are available) and dumped them all into the spreadsheet you see below. As you'll soon find out, there are lots of similarities between these three electric crossovers, but each has a unique selling point or two with which to entice buyers. slide-1312958 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312959 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312960 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312961 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312962 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312963 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312964 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312965 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312966 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312967 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312968 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312969 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312970 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312971 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312972 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312973 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312974 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312975 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312977 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312978 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312979 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312980 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312981 Image Credit: Audi slide-1312982 Image Credit: Audi Performance Note that we're using the With that out of the way, these particular electric crossovers are all pretty quick. The Jaguar boasts the quickest 0-60 time, but in the real world, that half-second advantage over the 75D won't amount to much. The Audi is a full second behind the Jaguar, and a little over a half second slower to 60 than the Tesla. A 5.5-second 0-60 time, though, still means the E-Tron will be able to squirt away from As far as battery capacity, Audi leads the way with 95 kWh, which is 5 more than the Jag and a whopping 20 more than the Tesla. Until we get estimated range figures, though, we won't know what the extra capacity means in the real world. In other words, stay tuned. Note that we're using the Tesla Model X 75D for this comparison, since that's the model that is closest in price to the Jaguar and Audi entries. If you really want the fastest and most powerful electric CUV available, you're going to want to look at Tesla's ludicrous P100D model, but you'd better be willing to just about double the price you see in the chart above.With that out of the way, these particular electric crossovers are all pretty quick. The Jaguar boasts the quickest 0-60 time, but in the real world, that half-second advantage over the 75D won't amount to much. The Audi is a full second behind the Jaguar, and a little over a half second slower to 60 than the Tesla. A 5.5-second 0-60 time, though, still means the E-Tron will be able to squirt away from traffic lights quicker than the rest of the morning commuters.As far as battery capacity, Audi leads the way with 95 kWh, which is 5 more than the Jag and a whopping 20 more than the Tesla. Until we get estimated range figures, though, we won't know what the extra capacity means in the real world. In other words, stay tuned. slide-1324761 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324762 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324763 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324764 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324765 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324767 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324768 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324769 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324770 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324771 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324772 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324773 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324774 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324775 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324776 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324777 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324779 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324780 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324781 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324782 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324783 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324784 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324785 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324786 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324787 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324788 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324789 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324790 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324791 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324792 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324793 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324794 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324795 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324796 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324797 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324798 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324799 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324800 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324801 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324802 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324803 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324804 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324805 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324806 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324807 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324808 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324809 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324810 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324811 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324812 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324813 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324814 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324815 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324816 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324817 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324818 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324819 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324820 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324821 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324822 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324823 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324824 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324825 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324826 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324827 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324828 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324829 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324830 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324831 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324832 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324833 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324834 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324835 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover slide-1324836 Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover Exterior and interior dimensions The Jaguar is the smallest of these three 'utes, inside and out. The Tesla Model X is the largest. Does that make the Audi just right? Maybe, but only if you don't need a third row — the Model X is the only one of this trio that offers seating for six or seven passengers (depending on whether the buyer opts for a second-row bench or individual chairs). A smaller size may be a boon for drivers who often have to fit into tight spaces, but those slinky dimensions mean the Jaguar's cargo capacity is well behind that of the Audi and not even close to the cavernous Tesla.<doc-sep>RICHMOND, Calif. – The upmarket electric-car floodgates are starting to open. Audi on Monday threw an elaborate bayside party just north of San Francisco to unveil the e-tron, a $75,000 SUV that arrives fast on the heels of Jaguar’s $70,000 I-PACE. Together the two new vehicles represent the first real challenge to Tesla, which has stood virtually alone in the premium electric vehicle market with its Model S ($100,000) but which now is facing production lags with its entry-level Model 3 and hits to the reputation of its volatile CEO Elon Musk. The German company’s decidedly mainstream machine dives into an EV market that remains just 1 percent of new-car sales. But the e-tron acts as a hedge against what experts predict will soon be a lucrative segment as consumer acceptance grows and EV charging stations mushroom. “The premium EV race is about to get interesting,” says Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Cox Automotive, noting that 10 new players are expected to enter the electric car market over the next two years as manufacturers warm to the market created by Tesla. “The (e-tron) features standard-issue Audi design cues, meaning a beautiful interior and exterior execution,” he says. “For electric vehicle doubters, plenty of which remain, the e-tron will mark an important threshold on the path to widespread EV adoption.” Audi is accepting reservations for the e-tron now and expects to begin shipping cars from its new manufacturing plant in Brussels in the second quarter of 2019. Its arrival comes just weeks after the automaker pulled the covers off a rakish prototype electric supercar at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Dubbed the PB 18 e-tron, that sports car is another gauntlet thrown down at Tesla, which is updating its two-door Roadster coupe. Audi also plans to reveal the e-tron GT concept, which looks to be a direct competitor to the Model S, at the Los Angeles auto show in November. In an echo of other EVs, Audi’s e-tron SUV is powered by twin-electric motors front and rear, while its 95 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion batteries line the car’s floor. But look inside, and you see a standard-issue luxurious German sport-ute. Which is the point. That's Audi's bread and butter, with some 53 percent of U.S. sales accounted for by SUVs. “This is a full-stop Audi, backed by a network of hundreds of dealerships and a company with more than 100 years in the business,” Audi of America president Scott Keogh tells USA TODAY. “Tesla deserves massive credit from moving electric vehicles away from just being cars for a quirky market, they went luxury,” says Keogh. “Our message for anyone considering an electric car is simply, we want our day in court.” Soon other automakers will as well. In fact, Porsche, Audi’s sibling in the VW Group family, is poised to unveil its upmarket Taycan sedan next year, and Audi and Porsche are collaborating on a series of platforms that will allow both companies to electrify a vast range of model by 2025. Notably, neither Audi nor Jaguar decided to take on Tesla directly, eschewing a sedan design and instead going straight for the increasingly hot premium mid-sized SUV market. Where the I-PACE has more of a crossover feel, Audi’s mission with the e-tron is to offer consumers a car that feels like its luxury Q7 or new Q8 SUVs but with an electric powertrain. In other words: Don’t shock the customer too much. To look at the e-tron is to behold a vehicle that looks like just about every other SUV on the road. Which is the point. It features a traditional shape that recalls its gas-powered counterparts in the Audi family, and is almost as big as the upmarket Q8 SUV. E-tron offers seating for five, respectable cargo area with 57 cubic-feet of space, all-wheel-drive and a 4,000-pound towing capacity. While Audi isn’t saying what the e-tron’s electric range is, one can assume it’s somewhere north of 200 miles. Audi does say that with a fast charger, an empty e-tron will hit 80 percent of battery capacity in 30 minutes. Some of the reason Audi is mum on mileage is because this isn’t necessarily a car aimed at road trippers as much as soccer moms and dads with a slate of commutes and errands on the day’s itinerary. “Think of it this way, how great is it that every morning you know your tank is full,” says Keogh, waving off range-anxiety concerns, long the bane of EV marketers. For charging at home, Audi Home Charging will be provided by Amazon, with up front pricing and installation of a charging "pump" in your house, Audi announced at the Monday event. Alexa also will be inside Audi, as part of the infotainment system. The entry-level e-tron doesn’t feel so entry-level. Listing for $74,800, it comes with 20-inch wheels, a top-view camera system, LED interior and exterior lighting, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, heated and cooled seats and a panoramic sunroof. Bump things up to the Prestige model at $81,800, and the Premium Plus package includes a head-up projection screen for speed and other information, a Driver Assistance package, massage seats and a full leather interior. And the $86,700 First Edition package adds 21-inch wheels, Daytona Gray pearl paint, orange brake calipers and black leather with gray stitching. One thing U.S. e-tron buyers will not get, regretfully, is a very high-tech touch that so far is only legal in Europe. That would be the car's side-view mirrors, which on the Euro model consists of small rear-facing door-mounted cameras that project the image of what's behind the drive onto small OLED screens on the driver and passenger doors. We get the old school mirrors until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decides cameras and screens are safe. So for now, we'll have to be happy with the rest of the deliberately conformist e-tron, which, if successful, has the potential to revolutionize the EV landscape. Reservations are open now at audiusa.com. Follow USA TODAY reporter Marco della Cava: @marcodellacava<doc-sep>The Audi e-tron SUV is an electric shot at Tesla The price start at $74,800 for Audi's first EV This is the Audi e-tron. The electric SUV seats five and starts at $74,800. The e-tron will hit Audi dealerships in the middle of 2019, and prospective buyers can reserve one right now for $1,000. This is Audi’s first production electric vehicle and perhaps one of the most significant EVs to be announced since the Chevy Bolt. It has everything Audi buyers expect: Quattro AWD, technology-first cockpit, and a familiar fit and finish. The e-tron is launching to a market with few competitors. It’s most similar to the new Jaguar I-Pace. Both vehicles offer similar technology and creature comforts for a similar price. But in a way, the Audi is joining forces with the Jag to compete with Tesla. The e-tron is packed with a 95 kWh battery pack that powers electric motors on each axle. All-wheel drive is standard, and the vehicle packs two ways to recoup lost energy. Right now, at launch, Audi is not releasing official range numbers and the EPA has yet to certify and release its own numbers. Inside is reminiscent of current Audi SUVs. Drivers are presented with Audi’s virtual instrument panel and several touchscreens. The top center-mounted screen handles infotainment and navigation duty while the bottom is for climate control and text input. The cabin is equipped and outfitted similarly to the rest of Audi’s line, but the design language is unique to the e-tron. It’s clear Audi designed the e-tron to appeal to traditional buyers looking to jump into electric vehicles through familiar means. The e-tron looks and feels like the rest of Audi’s lineup. And that’s probably the point. The vehicle maker took its established formula and plugged it into electric vehicles. The result is something new yet familiar. [gallery ids="1714457,1714456,1714455,1714454,1714453,1714452,1714451,1714450,1714449"] The Audi e-tron The outside of the e-tron screams Audi. Sharp headlights, flowing body panels, and an angular, aggressive grill. It looks like a new version of Audi’s mid-size SUV, the Q5. The main design difference comes by way of four small accent lights on the side of the headlights and tail lights. They are designed to look like a battery meter, and the result is a clever, though subtle nod to the e-tron’s electric power plant. Clad in aluminum, the e-tron’s battery weighs about 700 kg (1,543.2 lb) and is comprised of 36 pouch-type cells, the same type of system Jaguar and Chevy use in their electric vehicles, while Tesla uses cylinder-type battery cells. Audi says e-tron’s battery can be recharged to 80% in 30 minutes using a 150 kW charger. The e-tron ships with a Level 2, 240-volt/40 amps residential charger that’s also compatible with 120-volt household outlets. Through a partnership, buyers will have the option to use Amazon Home Services to ready their homes with an installation of a home charger. E-tron buyers gain access to the nationwide charging network, “Electrify America” and can use up to 1,000 kWh of charge over four years. Audi says by 2019 this network will include five-hundred 350kW chargers throughout 40 states. An electric motor is mounted on each axle motor, though both are not used at all times. At moderate speeds, there is a bias to the rear motor. When the rear motor is unable to provide the vehicle with the desired powered, the front motor kicks on. The dual motors and single stage transmission work together to get the e-tron to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. The tow rating is set at 4,000 lbs which is good enough for a small U-Haul trailer or a couple of jet skis. Audi says official horsepower and torque numbers will be released at a later time. Like other electric vehicles, the e-tron recovers energy through braking and deceleration. But Audi took driving efficiency one step farther. Using navigation and radar and camera data, the e-tron can predictively prompt the driver to release the gas pedal at appropriate times. If the vehicle knows the driver should slow down, it will tell the driver in the name of efficiency. Power is returned to the battery from practically all braking situations whether through natural deceleration when the driver releases the accelerator or when the friction brake system is engaged. Audi says this system is responsible for up to 30 percent of the e-tron’s range. The brakes are electric. When the driver presses the brake pedal, a control unit computes how much pressure needs to be applied, and an electric motor supplies the appropriate pressure. Audi says this system is 30% lighter than traditional vacuum brakes. The amount of energy the e-tron can recover is selectable by the driver via a paddle on the steering wheel. There are three settings. In the highest setting, the e-tron aggressively recovers energy every time the driver releases the accelerator, which allows for one pedal driving. But in the lowest setting the e-tron coasts without any braking resistance. Drivers are presented with few traditional switches and buttons. Most of the controls are contained on two touchscreens. The top, center-mounted screen is 10.1-inches while the bottom is an 8.6-inch screen that’s mounted in a way that the driver can access it while their hand is resting on the gear selector. Both screens provide tactile and audio feedback. This dual screen setup is different from the single, massive screen found in Tesla’s electric vehicles. The top screen handles infotainment, navigation, telephone, and vehicle settings while the bottom is for climate control and entering text for navigation. This layout more closely matches the traditional placement found in other vehicles, which will likely reduce the learning curve often associated with getting in a vehicle with just touchscreens. This dual touchscreen system is not unique to the e-tron. It’s the same equipment Audi employs in its high-end sedans, and will likely trickle down to other Audi models in coming generations. The driver is presented with Audi’s digital instrument panel that the carmaker has been using for several vehicle generations. In this instance, the instrument cluster is presented on a 1,920×720 display with e-tron specific graphics. The driver can configure the screen to display the speedometer, power meter and infotainment screens in various fashions. Buyers can also opt for a heads up display. Audi built a companion app for the e-tron. Through the smartphone app, owners can input navigation destination, set battery charging times and schedule service with local dealers. [gallery ids="1714650,1714651,1714652,1714653,1714654,1714658,1714659,1714655"] Racing the Competition The e-tron has few competitors but only one that matters: The Tesla Model X, long the lone option for buyers seeking an electric SUV. The Model X is slightly larger, a bit quicker and can be a lot more costly than the Audi e-tron. It also has less range than the unofficial numbers provided by Audi before the e-tron is certified by the EPA The Tesla is a head turner while the Audi looks like just another Audi. The Tesla packs autonomous driving modes while the Audi only has adaptive cruise control. The Tesla can seat up to seven while the Audi seats five. And the Tesla can beat exotic sports cars to 60 miles per hour. The Tesla Model X interior feels like something different while the Audi e-tron feels like a new take on something familiar. Both vehicles start out at similar prices. The Tesla Model X starts at $72,100 with a range of 239 miles. The Audi e-tron begins at $74,800 with an unofficial range of around 248 miles. However, to get the extra range in the Tesla, buyers have to opt for pricier packages. A Model X with a 295-mile range starts at $88,600, and the sports-car fast P100D begins at $125,800 — Tesla’s self-driving features cost an additional $5,000. In contrast, Audi offers the same powertrain and battery throughout the e-tron’s trim levels. For $81,700 buyers get the same range as the base model but gain additional creature comforts like a heads-up display, massaging seats and parking assist technology. For $86,700 buyers can opt for the First Edition package that includes larger, 21-inch wheels, limited paint, and interior trim and a night vision mode.<doc-sep>
How the Audi e-tron compares to the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace Audi just announced its first production electric vehicle. Called the e-tron, the EV is a mid-size SUV loaded with technology with an unofficial range of over 300 miles. It’s nicely equipped, and with a starting price of $74,800, it sits between the Jaguar I-Pace and the Tesla Model X. The e-tron is most similar to the Jaguar I-Pace though the Audi is slightly better equipped. The e-tron packs a 95 kWh battery over the Jaguar’s 90 kWh battery. It’s also slightly larger and rated to tow 4,000 lbs. Comparing the e-tron to the Model X gets messy. Tesla sells the Model X in three flavors: mild, hot, and on fire. The mild version starts at $72,100 and packs a 75 kWh battery good for 237 miles. Spend $88,600 to get the 100D and its 100 kWh battery that’s rated for 295 miles. And for $125,800, buyers can get the P100D that’s good for 298 miles and a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds. Autonomous driving modes are available for purchase on each version of the Model X. Audi and Jaguar do not offer autonomous driving on the e-tron or I-Pace. Spec for spec, the e-tron, I-Pace and Model X offer advantages over each other. Here are the most important technical specifications for each vehicle along with the Toyota RAV4, the top selling SUV in the United States. Here’s how I see each vehicle’s advantage: Audi e-tron Best price-to-battery ratio: Buyers get a 95 kWh battery on the base model. For the money, the Audi is the best value when it comes to the range it can travel. Competent controls: Audi installed the same dual-touchscreen system found in its high-end A8 luxury sedan. The top screen handles infotainment while the bottom screen handles climate control and text input. Both screens offer tactile and audio response when touched. It looks and feels like an Audi: The e-tron does not stand out, which could be a good thing for some buyers. It looks and feels like an Audi SUV. Audi is not releasing the range yet: The EPA must certify the e-tron before Audi can advertise the range of the e-tron. Without those numbers, it’s hard to place where the e-tron sits in the landscape. But today at the e-tron launch event, the company hinted at a range that’s superior to that of the Tesla Model X. Jaguar I-Pace Early reviews of the I-Pace praise the driving: The I-Pace is a crossover and it drives like one. It’s sporty and confident and it has the lowest stance of the three EVs listed here. The I-Pace is a Jag: The I-Pace has the quickest time to 60 mph out of the bunch and is capable of hitting the mark in 4.5 seconds. That’s the same as a 2016 Audi TTS Coupe. However, the more expensive Tesla P100D is much, much quicker with a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds. Well equipped yet the cheapest: Starting at $69,500, the I-Pace is the least expensive of the bunch. And at that price, it’s well equipped Tesla Model X P75 It’s a Tesla: The Model X looks like nothing else on the road inside and out. To some, it’s a big draw while others shy away from the attention-getting design. The Model X is deceptively large: The Model X comes with five seats, but two jump seats can be added to the rear area. With all the seats down, the Model X has an available storage volume of 88 cubic feet — that’s just 6 cubic feet smaller than a Chevy Tahoe. The Model X can drive itself: The Model X can be equipped with Autopilot, Tesla’s self-driving system that can pilot the SUV on its own. More options: The Model X P100 offers more range and the Model X P100D offers more range and insane performance. The e-tron hits the US market in the middle of 2019, and by then, there will be additional competitors to compare.