Motoring News
Today, 04 February 2014Audi guns for Tesla with Q8 e-tron SUV
Battery-powered version of the upcoming Q8 SUV due in 2017 in with a range of 370 miles expected
An all-electric version of Audi's upcoming Q8 sports SUV has been approved for production as a direct rival to Tesla, according to senior company sources.The Q8 e-tron will use battery and electric powertrain technology from the upcoming R8 e-tron supercar, with Audi engineers targeting a practical range of 370 miles. It’s thought that the new car will not be seen before 2017. The R8 e-tron project was recently reprised, with the updated car getting twin electric motors, 376bhp and a range of around 250 miles.The new Q8 model is aimed directly at the upcoming Tesla Model X SUV, which is due to be launched later this year. Like the Tesla, the Q8 e-tron will have electric motors driving the front and rear wheels. The Q8 e-tron is expected to have a large battery pack, at least equal to the 80kWh pack that will be available in the Tesla. Battery technology is expected to make significant advances by the time the Q8 arrives, which will improve its potential
read moreBaby Jeep and Fiat 500X SUVs set for 2015 launch
Jeep’s new Nissan Juke rival - co-developed alongside a new small Fiat SUV - promises to remain true to the brand’s off-road capability
Development on the upcoming baby Jeep and Fiat 500X crossover is speeding up ahead of an expected launch in 2015, bouyed by Fiat's successful takeover of Chrysler.These latest spy shots of the Jeep testing in Italy and the Fiat winter testing in Sweden show engineering mules of a common platform which will underpin both models. The baby Jeep — which could be called Jeepster — will be built at Fiat’s Melfi factory in Italy alongside its 500X sister car. The 500X will complete the 500 family line-up, sitting alongside the 500L MPV. Hidden beneath the modified 500L bodywork are heavily modified versions of the SCCS platform that underpins the Fiat Punto and Vauxhall Corsa. The platform has been made wider and re-engineered to meet the crash requirements particular to the US market. <
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