Audi South Africa wants to lead the local high-performance EV market and will offer no fewer than half a dozen e-tron models in Mzansi from early next year.

Electrical-vehicle sales and demand might be negligible in South Africa, but that is not stopping Audi.The German brand has heavily invested in electric vehicle architecture, and it boasts an impressive array of potent battery-powered vehicles.

Although local incentives and energy policies make South Africa a challenging destination market for any electrified vehicle range, Audi has committed to 2022 being its tipping-point year. Many would have expected Audi to test customer adoption trends with a single electric vehicle offering, but Audi South Africa CEO, Sascha Sauer, has announced a comprehensive e-tron range.

Audi customers who want to trend ahead of turbopetrol and diesel powertrain choices will have the option of no fewer than 6e-tron models in early 2022. Battery options will be large capacity 95-kWh and 71-kWh packs, denoted by the familiar Audi 55 and 50 nomenclatures.

The range will start with e-tron 50 and 55, while Audi followers who prefer the sloping roofline profile will also have the option of Sportback versions.

With the e-tron 55 being good for 300 kW and the 50 producing 230 kW, performance should not disappoint. Acceleration for the 55-series e-tron is claimed at 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, with the 50 runs that same performance benchmark in 6.8 seconds.

Top speeds are predictably much lower than what would be the case with an equivalently powered Audi petrol or diesel vehicle. The e-tron 55 vehicles top out at 200 kph, with the 50s limited to 190 kph.

Driving estimates are always a contentious issue with any electric vehicle, but the e-tron range should see a usable driving endurance in the mid-300km range.

Those Audi customers who wish to transition from V6- and V8-engined RS modelswithout losing performance will be served by the e-tron GT and RS.

With the e-tron GT featuring a 350-kW electric motor and being capable of 0-100 kph in 4.1 sec, RS brand fans needn’t worry. The GT RS amplifies peak power to 440 kW, creating a true electric vehicle successor to the brand’s storied RS6 vehicles.

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