Audi launches new EV brand and concept for China but an iconic feature is missing
- The new Audi E concept is designed specifically for China
- It’s an all-electric wagon/SUV
- The four rings logo is gone
Published on Nov 08, 2024 at 1:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Nov 08, 2024 at 1:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Audi has teamed up with SAIC – a car group from China – to launch a new concept that is simply called the Audi E.
These days, automakers love creating cars that are difficult to categorize, and the Audi E is no exception.
You could call it an SUV, a sedan, a wagon or a shooting brake – and you’d be correct in all four cases.
But, more importantly, this new Audi changes everything for the brand.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
With the Audi E, SAIC and Audi are rebranding
The first thing that stands out is the absence of Audi’s signature four rings.
The 191-inch (4.8-meter) SUV/wagon was designed to envision Audi’s plan for the Chinese market.
The iconic four rings are gone, replaced by a new logo which only consists of the four letters ‘AUDI’.
Traditionalists probably won’t like that.
But, as Bob Dylan once memorably said, the times they are a-changin’.
An all-electric concept
The Audi E comes in with a dual-motor powertrain, with one electric engine for each axle, producing 764 horsepower in total.
It does 0-60mph in just 3.6 seconds, and the range is 435 miles (700km).
More to the point, Audi says you can charge it from 0 to 230 miles (370km) of range in just 10 minutes.
It’s still not as fast as charging a hydrogen car, but we’re getting there.
Visually, the new Audi E doesn’t really look like any other concept or prototype.
It even deviates significantly from the Skyphere and Grandsphere unveiled a few years ago.
By the way, we’re still not 100 percent sure what those two concepts were for.
Maybe just a marketing flex.
By contrast, we know exactly what this new Audi E concept is for.
It’s Audi’s way of saying goodbye to the four rings in the logo – at least for now, and at least in China.
Don’t worry – this won’t be the last we see of them.