2022 Audi E-Tron GT brings the heat, then gets rid of it

The reveal of the production version of the 2022 Audi RS E-Tron GT electric grand tourer is set for early 2021, but Audi on Thursday revealed more of what makes the Porsche Taycan-based 4-door coupe tick. Specifically, Audi shared information on the car’s suspension and thermal management system.

The E-Tron GT rides the same J1 platform as the Porsche Taycan and is very similar underneath. The cars were developed together and tuning was done by each company. Like the Taycan, the E-Tron GT will use a three-chamber air suspension and adjustable, adaptive dampers at each corner. However, Audi’s RS division tuned the suspension to make the car feel like an Audi, with soft Comfort mode settings and firmer Dynamic settings.

The air suspension will also be able to raise and lower the car. From its normal ride height, the suspension will drop 0.4 inch in Dynamic mode, and 0.87 inch in Efficiency mode. The car will also raise 0.8 inch in Comfort mode.

Audi will also outfit the E-Tron GT with rear-axle steering that will make the car turn sharper at speeds less than 31-37 mph, depending on the driving mode, by turning the rear wheels up to 3 degrees opposite of the fronts. At higher speeds, the rear wheels will turn with the fronts to improve stability.

Buyers will have a choice of three wheel sizes. The 19s will be the lightest wheels at 27.5 pounds each, 20s will be the most aerodynamic, and the 21s (shown on the prototype model pictured here) may be the most attractive.

The wheels will hide three types of brakes. Carbon-ceramic brakes with 10-piston front calipers will provide the most stopping power. Tungsten-carbide coated brakes will also be offered. These are essentially Porsche’s PSCB brakes with a thin layer of tungsten-carbide coating that reduces brake dust and prolongs brake life. Standard iron brakes will serve as the base setup.

Audi has talked about the motors and performance of the car when it debuted as a concept at the 2018 LA Auto Show, but the company also shared more information. The E-Tron GT will come with a 235-horsepower front motor and a 449-hp rear motor that will combine to produce 590 hp and up to 640 hp in an overboost mode. The front motor will have its own single-speed transmission and the rear motor will have a 2-speed gearbox.

We previously reported that the E-Tron GT will be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but now we know it could be slightly quicker than that as Audi quoted the same time for the 0-62 mph run. The 0-60 mph time could be a tenth or two quicker.

That high power delivery—and the E-Tron GT’s high-power fast charging—will demand a lot of cooling. Liquid cooling will make performance repeatable and precondition the 83.7-kwh (net) battery for fast charging. 

The battery will be made up of 396 pouch cells in 33 modules and sit within the E-Tron GT’s flat skateboard-style platform. Four liquid cooling circuits will be connected by valves. One circuit will be dedicated to the high-voltage battery, and another will handle the electric motors and power electronics. Another system will condition the interior.

Audi previously said the E-Tron GT will be able to fast charge at up to 350 kw. Now, following what’s permitted so far for the Porsche Taycan, Audi says it will take a fast charge as high as 270 kw, which is still quite fast. The cooling system will come into play for charging as well as it will condition the battery to handle that type of charge. In fact, if the driver programs in a fast-charging destination, the system will pre-condition the battery starting a half hour before arrival.

The E-Tron GT will be part of Audi’s planned 30 electric and plug-in vehicles on offer by 2025. The company also said it will be part of a three-pillar strategy for Audi RS, which will consist of emotional electric cars, emotional internal-combustion-engine cars, and performance plug-in hybrids.

Source