Audi e-tron Gets Delivered To 1st Customers While Battery Production Bottleneck Rumored

Published on March 28th, 2019 |
by Zachary Shahan

March 28th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

Given that the LG Chem battery factory that supplies the Audi e-tron is basically in my backyard, I guess this one falls in my lap.

The German outlet br.de (h/t electrive) recently reported that production bottlenecks for the e-tron’s batteries are slowing down vehicle production. My understanding from rummaging around the garbage bins (or something like that) is that Tesla isn’t the only company to run into innumerable production challenges (fires included). I’m not collecting data on e-tron battery production rates, and wouldn’t share that if I was if it put any sources at risk, but suffice it to say that, even for the big boys, mass production comes with challenges.

As with countless other electric vehicle fans, I’m curious about Audi e-tron production and sales rates. This is supposed to be a big entry into electrification from Audi, and as much as I might think it doesn’t compare to a Tesla Model X (or Model Y), it is a pretty attractive vehicle with neat features. More importantly, it is critical that Tesla not be the only company with high electric vehicle sales. We need other automakers to succeed with electric vehicles.

Word on the street is that, even with the battery bottleneck, the waiting line for delivery is only 5 months long. Yes, 5 months is not super convenient when you need a new car tomorrow, but it’s not that bad when compared to other popular electric vehicles at around launch (any Tesla model and a few other models). At the end of the year, I’m afraid the e-tron will see approximately as many sales as the Model S or Model X. That’s better than most electric cars or SUVs, but it’s not exactly market-shifting at this point.

Audi, somewhat surprisingly when you consider how much money it and the rest of Volkswagen Group spend hyping coming products, is only rather quietly announcing the commercial launch of the e-tron. A few days ago, there was an announcement about the first customer delivery in Germany, but it was only on the German Audi media site. The global site doesn’t have a peep about it.

The first Audi e-tron was apparently delivered to a Norbert Münch last Friday, March 22 (photo evidence above). Norbert has been driving Audi vehicles for a whopping 18 years, so I assume Audi considered him a trustworthy buyer to highlight as an electric Audi early adopter. (There’s no way he’s going to switch to a Model Y in a few years, right?) That said, he reportedly got the first e-tron because he had the first reservation in during the livestreamed launch from San Francisco. (Yes, San Francisco, not Ingolstadt, which made it easier for CleanTechnica to attend the event and provide an early, thorough rundown.)

“The sporty design coupled with the long range make the car a companion suitable for everyday use,” says Norbert. Indeed. It is a great looking electric crossover with long range and some cool features. Via our own Sebastian Blanco, this is one of my favorites: “In Europe, the e-tron Charging Service will simplify drivers’ daily lives by combining 220 different operators and a network of over 72,000 public charging stations into one account, one contract, and one card. E-tron buyers will be able to test out the service with a free trial period to see if it does make their charging lives easier.”

Perhaps we’ll find a way to get a word with Norbert or another early e-tron adopter for a full review from an owner’s perspective. And if Audi can get its production rolling, perhaps we’ll secure an extended test drive of the e-tron before too long on at least one side of the Atlantic.

About the Author

Zachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species). He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the president of Important Media and the director/founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada.

Zach has long-term investments in TSLA, FSLR, SPWR, SEDG, & ABB — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in these particular companies and feels like they are good cleantech companies to invest in. But he offers no professional investment advice and would rather not be responsible for you losing money, so don't jump to conclusions.