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Tuning an Audi e-tron
Is more even possible?
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Tuning an Audi e-tron: Is more even possible?
The Audi e-tron looks like the shape of things to come. When we look at its spec, we search in vain for the typical image of an electric car.
Because the e-tron may be an electric SUV – but in a top performance class. And since its stats are already remarkable when it leaves the factory, this begs the question: is more even possible? What does tuning an Audi e-tron look like?
Electric but SUV: the Audi e-tron
Audi gives its cars with electric drive the serial name ‘e-tron’. From the e-tron to the Q4 e-tron, a few Sportbacks to the RS e-tron GT, Audi has already carved a name for itself when it comes to battery power and performance. Now the e-tron – the first of its kind, a sleek and elegant electric SUV – is soon to get some other modifications and new name as well: it will be the Audi Q8 e-tron. This sheds a bit of light on the subject, because the letter/number combination gives us a better idea of the vehicle’s physique. And this is very special given the far more typical representatives of e-mobility: the e-tron is large and heavy, and also suitable for long distances. But one thing really sets it apart from the green image of an electric car, and that is its performance. With the e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback models, even tuning nerds are pricking up their ears, because here you have dynamics that promise a lot of fun. So can tuning get even more out of the e-tron? Let’s take one thing at a time!
Performance and co.: yes, the Audi e-tron has this
Three electric motors and up to 503 PS (370 kW)
Obviously, the e-tron comes in different versions, with some major differences in performance and range. The e-tron S takes things at an especially sporty pace: three electric motors in total make sure that this 2.7-ton car can really move. For eight seconds, a boost is at your disposal, which ups the torque even further and increases the horsepower. But the e-tron S has impressive stats even without the boost. The large motor at the front reaches 124 kW, the smaller rear motors together manage 196 kW. So you have a whopping 435 PS (320 kW) and 808 Nm of torque in this hugely attractive e-car, at least in sport mode. With boost (as we said, for a whole eight seconds), you get to 503 PS (370 kW) and 973 Nm. If we take our ‘usual’ tuning projects, where we always look to achieve 1000 PS (750 kW), this isn’t really in our league. But when we consider that the e-tron manages entirely without turbo and so on and runs only on electricity, then we raise our hats.
Speed and range
What you mustn’t forget is that acceleration ends at 210 km/h. And that’s essential, so the e-tron can get further than just down our street! It may well have a 95-kWh battery installed, but this has a great deal to do, because this car is heavy, gives a great performance and has a lot of electrics to play with, which also need power. Unfortunately, with e-mobility everything stands and falls with the range (and of course our individual needs). Accelerating from 0 to 100 km in 4.5 seconds in the e-tron S is of limited use, because the range soon puts a lid on your fun.
The Audi does score points for range, though, if you use recuperation (regenerative braking). Here, braking (or taking your foot off the gas) is used to generate energy that can then be used for getting up to speed again. So instead of continuously flooring it and drastically depleting your range, you can relish the challenge, play with it and always try to draw out the maximum. Unlike other electric cars, the effect isn’t as blatant: the car doesn’t brake abruptly as soon as you take your foot off. This means that with a bit of practice, you can manage with just the accelerator most of the time – you then only need the brake for full braking.
As in all electric cars, in the Audi e-tron the range depends on a lot of different factors. These include your own driving style and the driving mode, but also the battery charge, the outside temperature, the road surface, etc. In ideal conditions, Audi claims that the e-tron S can cover 323 kilometres (and as many as 390 km in the Sportback 55 quattro). That won’t take you around the world, but at a fast charging station you can charge it to 80% in 30 minutes. While other electric cars charge far more slowly when the battery is at 80%, the e-tron is ahead of the curve here, too, and can still get up to 90 kW at a 150-kW fast charging station. And that really is unusual. The e-tron quattro is in fact currently the e-car with the fastest charging time.
Dynamics squeezed out to the last drop
Once you’ve started the car, for a while you forget the range and all that, because now the driving dynamics of the e-tron come into play. The three electric motors and intelligent drive control make it much more dynamic and also much safer than you could ever imagine without doing a test drive. The electric all-wheel drive and electric torque distribution (torque vectoring) squeeze out the driving dynamics down to the very last drop. If you want to sit back and relax, the electric all-wheel system controls the drive. As soon as you want more power, the torque vectoring springs into action and controls the drive torques for each individual wheel within milliseconds, entirely without a mechanical differential.
Where other electric cars feel like soulless bumper cars, the e-tron hugs the bends and the road, accelerates in record time and, yes, with the appropriate ESC settings and the right mode, you can even drift! Here, all the ECUs play in harmony like a perfectly optimised orchestra. You notice this in the high degree of agility and precision, while you simultaneously appear to stick reliably and calmly to the road. It’s an incomparable feeling – for an electric car.
The e-tron also adheres to the road like this because of its weight distribution. The high-voltage battery under the floor is positioned low, as are the three motors. This means that axle loads are ideally distributed. Then you have the adaptive air suspension, which regulates the height of the body depending on what’s going on – what driving mode is set, etc. The Audi e-tron’s braking system is also remarkably intelligent; it decides when to apply the brakes and where to get the brake power from: the wheel brakes, the motors or both – and it does this separately for each axle, in record time.
Charging: 80% full in half an hour
As mentioned above, the e-tron is compatible with fast charging stations and over 150,000 charging points in Europe. At a 150-kW station, you’ll be waiting about half an hour to have an 80% full battery. In the meantime, the Audi e-tron offers you a whole host of ways to pass the time. At any rate, the half hour is sure to pass quickly. You can of course (taking a lot more time) also use your home connection and charge at 11 kW – the choice is yours.
The e-tron look: like a combustion engine car
With its imposing physique, wide tyres and low centre of gravity, the Audi e-tron has the look of a combustion engine car. And the e-tron S and e-tron Sportback, in particular, come with a sporty look that no longer has much in common with your typical electric car. Just some external features give a hint of the car’s future-oriented technology. Like the optional virtual door mirrors, for example, which show the view on additional screens in the side doors. Blind spots are no more. Not only does this preserve the sporty look – the aerodynamics also benefit from this feature. The S and S Sportback models also have accessories that accentuate their sporty nature. What’s more, you have the option of completely new matrix LED headlights, which Audi is the first to launch on a large scale. These headlights bring a whole new kind of vision: they dim, for example, and reduce their distance so as not to dazzle oncoming vehicles. On narrow lanes, the car helps you to steer it perfectly in the middle, by showing you its position on the road. For safety, too, the e-tron is streets ahead.
On the inside, Audi has done everything right – here too, instead of the typical eco feel, you’re in the luxury class typical of an Audi. Everything is dark, with futuristic touches, and some parts in carbon if you wish. There are several displays, two in the middle, one in the cockpit and, if desired, a head-up display. Operation is intuitive and haptic, the infotainment system leaves nothing to be desired.
Can you still tune the e-tron?
There are generally some hurdles to overcome when tuning electric cars. For example, not every tuner is familiar with high voltage and able to make changes here. Only a few garages are equipped for servicing and repairing high-voltage batteries. And e-cars also lack the components that are upgraded in a normal tuning scenario: pistons and con-rods, the turbocharger, and also the air intake and exhaust system. So, tuning the Audi e-tron is still a thing of the future. What’s more, the components are so perfectly combined that they already come with an amazing spec ex works. A few things have to happen before we can do more than just a bit of chip tuning.
Conclusion
The Audi e-tron, and the S-models in particular, scarcely fit the picture of typical electric mobility. They’re in the sporty luxury class, but with electric drive. Therefore, their power is basically capped, which is difficult for a hardcore tuner to accept. So, we’ll have to wait and see what the future of e-tuning will bring. In the meantime, we’ll be glad to help you enhance the performance of your combustion engine vehicle. Simply send us a chat message, and we’ll see what we can do for you.
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Comments
Jason Roswig
03.02.2024, 22:29 Uhr
Please let me know if there are any tuning options for a 2019 etron. Thanks!
Kevin Gannon
24.03.2024, 08:41 Uhr
Very interesting info first time owner of electrical car Audi e-tron 50tec look forward to hearing more
His first car was a Polo Mk1 with a 40 Weber twin carburetor and 129 PS (95 kW). His second was an Audi 50. Today Bartek tunes Lamborghinis to 1000 PS (735 kW). Even as a young boy, Bartek disassembled vehicles and put everything back together better. He wrote his high school diploma with oil on his fingers. The trained automotive mechanic with a focus on engines and gearboxes was determined to go into motorsports. In his 10 years in Formal 1, he supervised 73 races, including as engine mechanic for Ralf Schumacher at Toyota. Since 2010, he has dedicated himself fully to his company BAR-TEK® and helps his customers to bring VW and Audi engines to peak performance.
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