Drove Audi e-tron Today

[Lhshockey24]

At EVGo chargers you can charge by simply swiping a credit card (either directly at the charger or a nearby kiosk). And obviously as an E-tron driver in the Bay Area it's pretty stupid not to have an EVGo RFID card. No app required. If that particular station had a problem, they could have easily reached another EVGo charger in San Jose on the way north (or just take the one down the street at Walmart in Gilroy). The best advice you could have given them is to get the Plugshare app.

Frankly, this sounds like a severe lack of preparation. I wonder how they got to Gilroy in the first place ...

It appeared they had just gotten this car like, this weekend maybe... English was not their first language (Israeli I think) and so he had trouble searching for apps on his phone. Yes, it was a total lack of preparation - still was reading the print-out from Audi titled “Charging Your E-Tron” I recommended the PlugShare app so they can see ALL the charging stations available. As mentioned in my little story, the EVgo chargers only had one (of two) where you could use a credit card. That one was out of service any the other was app only and would not connect. I ended up recommending they stop in San Jose where they would find an abundance of EVgo and maybe an Electrify America Charger too.

 

[miimura]

Poor guy. The funny thing is that there is an 8 stall EA site under construction at the Gilroy outlets, but it's not open yet.
I would have helped him get the EVgo app installed and subscribed on his phone.

 

[Lhshockey24]

Poor guy. The funny thing is that there is an 8 stall EA site under construction at the Gilroy outlets, but it's not open yet.
I would have helped him get the EVgo app installed and subscribed on his phone.

Yeah, did that. The charger was disconnected from the network so the app did us no good.

 

[miimura]

Yeah, did that. The charger was disconnected from the network so the app did us no good.

I've never seen that before. Both of the chargers at the Gilroy outlets are active on the network and available right now. However, I also have an EVgo RFID card for exactly this situation. Hopefully it would work with the RFID card even if the network connection was down. I probably would have activated the session for them with my card.

 

[Curious George]

Just heard that Audi-etron did really well last year.
19500 in Europe + about 5500 in the US (plus Canada may be) is already close to 25000 units sold last year!
Don't know if this is available elsewhere.
I was reading a review on another forum. People are pleased with its range estimate. It seems to do well in colder weather without much degradation from the EPA estimate.

I think the Merceces EQC will very well too, with the super credits going into effect in Europe.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Good to see the Europeans stepping up to the plate.

World wide competition will keep everybody honest and advance the acceptance of cleaner vehicles.

Currently Government/Utility subsidies seem to be driving that acceptance. Real challenge will be when they need to stand on their own economics.

 

[dfwatt]

Just heard that Audi-etron did really well last year.
19500 in Europe + about 5500 in the US (plus Canada may be) is already close to 25000 units sold last year!
Don't know if this is available elsewhere.
I was reading a review on another forum. People are pleased with its range estimate. It seems to do well in colder weather without much degradation from the EPA estimate.

I think the Merceces EQC will very well too, with the super credits going into effect in Europe.

I would actually like the competition to be at least somewhat successful. However there is evidence that the so-called serious auto manufacturers privately feel Tesla is so far out ahead that they are not confident at all about catching up anytime soon, or even really putting much of a dent in their sales particularly around the Models Y/3. Although Elon Musk has a reputation for wildly optimistic predictions, his prediction of hitting a half a million cars produced this year looks like it is reasonably on-target. Tesla's lead in relationship to Battery Technology, motor technology, and software, looks imposing. And Tesla is poised with the dry Electrode technology and other advancements to extend their lead rather than that lead shrinking

 

[mtndrew1]

Just heard that Audi-etron did really well last year.
19500 in Europe + about 5500 in the US (plus Canada may be) is already close to 25000 units sold last year!
Don't know if this is available elsewhere.
I was reading a review on another forum. People are pleased with its range estimate. It seems to do well in colder weather without much degradation from the EPA estimate.

I think the Merceces EQC will very well too, with the super credits going into effect in Europe.

I wonder how the Model Y will do in Europe. Much like the Model S and X are oversized for most people there the Y may be the volume seller in the European crossover segment.

 

[RubberToe]

No EV batteries == No EV

https://electrek.co/2020/02/21/audi...ric-suv-production-supply-problems-batteries/

 

[dfwatt]

No EV batteries == No EV

Audi suspends e-tron electric SUV production due to supply problems, batteries are suspected - Electrek

Tesla's strategy around the battery supply chain looks better and better. Instead of the arrogant prediction that the "serious auto manufacturers" were going to quickly eat Tesla's lunch once they decided to "get serious" about electric vehicles, the gap is only widening. It is painfully large right now and once Tesla gets the boost from dry electrode technology and Tesla's vehicle range trounces the competition even more so than it does now, it's hard to see how the "serious auto manufacturers" will ever catch up. Their arrogance has been their undoing.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Most European legacy manufacturers are reserving batteries based on lowest price. Not amazing that many of those contracts never get fulfilled.

 

[Uncle Paul]

The new Model X adaptive suspension makes it drive and handle much better. Set on Auto it will soften up the little bumps at low speed, but firm up at higher speeds or higher cornering forces. Amazing improvement.

So much better, in every way, than the Jeep Grand Cherokees I used to drive.

 

[ICUDoc]

it's hard to see how the "serious auto manufacturers" will ever catch up. Their arrogance has been their undoing.

Look, I am a big Tesla fan but I think this is overstating their advantage.
VW has spectacular resources. Yes, they have been egregiously deceptive with their emissions (which is why I'll never buy a VW), but even if they are stupid and arrogant (which I don't think are reasonable descriptors) their ability to ride out the Tesla storm and come back strong is tremendous. I'm not saying at all that they will trounce Tesla (I hope Tesla gets massive!), but don't underestimate them. Or Mercedes, Toyota etc.

 

[dfwatt]

Look, I am a big Tesla fan but I think this is overstating their advantage.
VW has spectacular resources. Yes, they have been egregiously deceptive with their emissions (which is why I'll never buy a VW), but even if they are stupid and arrogant (which I don't think are reasonable descriptors) their ability to ride out the Tesla storm and come back strong is tremendous. I'm not saying at all that they will trounce Tesla (I hope Tesla gets massive!), but don't underestimate them. Or Mercedes, Toyota etc.

Part of my anger at the "serious auto manufacturers" was their sometime complicity in climate denial and at best a deeply ambivalent attitude about climate change science. Some of this was their concern about climate science cutting into their profits, some of it was simply an effort to protect an existing technology from a disruptor, and some of it may have simply been the still fairly widely held hope that climate change was a problem down the road but nothing they needed to worry about more imminently.

In any case they were wrong on all these counts, wrong on Tesla's ability to deliver a product that would work in the mass Market, wrong on whether or not consumers would Embrace that disruptive technology on a rapidly accelerating curve, and being wrong on all these points means that they are late to the party. For all these reasons I have very little sympathy for them and not much respect either. At the same time, only a fool fails to appreciate how competition can make the entire field better and advance the cause of a more rapid transition to sustainable transportation and energy infrastructure. For that reason I hope they do get their act together and become real competition. I just don't see that happening soon.

 

[ICUDoc]

Part of my anger...

A very reasonable couple of paragraphs, dfwatt, and I think you are mostly right on all counts. Doesn't mean that these bastards don't have the deep pockets and (Tesla-inspired) commercial drive to now build competitive or even possibly excellent EVs. Annoyingly.

 

[dfwatt]

A very reasonable couple of paragraphs, dfwatt, and I think you are mostly right on all counts. Doesn't mean that these bastards don't have the deep pockets and (Tesla-inspired) commercial drive to now build competitive or even possibly excellent EVs. Annoyingly.

For sure. And deep reservoirs of technical Talent particularly in Porsche and Audi but in all of the elite German manufacturers. I don't really hold ill-will towards any of them. I do think that the release of the Porsche Taycan is in fact a great piece of advertising for how EV technology is cool, creates a platform for exceptional performance and not just ecological responsibility fun to drive, Etc. And the VW group seems to be all in on the transition to EV technology. That's all good news not just for us but for everybody.

 

[timk225]

When you can take a factory Model 3 right out onto a road course and run with BMW's, it's going to be tough for anyone to make an EV that compares.

 

[dgodfrey]

Look, I am a big Tesla fan but I think this is overstating their advantage.
VW has spectacular resources. Yes, they have been egregiously deceptive with their emissions (which is why I'll never buy a VW), but even if they are stupid and arrogant (which I don't think are reasonable descriptors) their ability to ride out the Tesla storm and come back strong is tremendous. I'm not saying at all that they will trounce Tesla (I hope Tesla gets massive!), but don't underestimate them. Or Mercedes, Toyota etc.

I used to be of the same opinion until I saw this:

Tesla Market Cap—$144B Total debt—$13B
Ford Market Cap—$32B Total debt—$155B
GM Market Cap—$50B Total debt—$103B
VW Market Cap—$96B Total debt—$227B
Daimler Market Cap—$59B Total debt—$169B
BMW Market Cap—$43B Total debt—$113B
Toyota Market Cap—$198B Total debt—$183B

I'm not a CPA but this doesn't seem like a healthy long term plan for most.

 

[Curious George]

No EV batteries == No EV

Audi suspends e-tron electric SUV production due to supply problems, batteries are suspected - Electrek

Is the cell supply problem confirmed? The article says, it is suspected.
Lots of supply chains are being disrupted because of the corona virus in China.This may be due to some other missing part(s).

I read that Tesla is also buying its cells from a Chinese company now. Hopefully, this isn't a cell shortage. If it is, all electric car prices will start going up, which won't be good for electric cars.

These heat pump equipped cars seem to be pertty good in maintaining range in European climates.
So far this year, Audi e-tron is killing it in Norway+Netherland+Spain. 1855 vs less than 434 for Model SX3 combined.
The new variants e-tron S crossover and e-tron GT will push this even higher.

 

[dfwatt]

Is the cell supply problem confirmed? The article says, it is suspected.
Lots of supply chains are being disrupted because of the corona virus in China.This may be due to some other missing part(s).

I read that Tesla is also buying its cells from a Chinese company now. Hopefully, this isn't a cell shortage. If it is, all electric car prices will start going up, which won't be good for electric cars.

These heat pump equipped cars seem to be pertty good in maintaining range in European climates.
So far, Audi e-tron is killing it in Norway+Netherland+Spain. 1855 vs less than 434 for Model SX3 combined.
The new variants e-tron S crossover and e-tron GT will push this even higher.

This is some of the wildest misinformation I've ever heard on this form. Where are you getting this? First of all in Norway the model 3 is the largest selling car, not the largest selling electric car but the largest selling model of any car. Tesla sold more cars in Norway than Toyota, more than VW and more than BMW. Audi wasn't even in the top five. That's just Norway. So the notion that the Audi e-tron is "killing it" and out selling Tesla in Norway and Netherlands is just pure fiction.