Audi is already introducing a new version of its E-tron quattro electric SUV in Europe with smaller batteries.
The short-range model will have a 71-kilowatt-hour battery pack in place of the original's 95-kwh battery pack.
Audi confirmed to Green Car Reports that the new model won't be sold in the U.S. In Europe, it will be rated at 186 miles on the new WLTP test, versus about 249 miles in that test with the larger pack.
The E-tron 50 also won't get the quick, 150-kilowatt charge rate that other E-trons are known for, though with a smaller battery it won't need them as badly. The E-tron quattro is the first car on the market capable of using new 150-kw CCS DC fast chargers being installed by several networks in Europe and the U.S. Instead, the E-tron 50 can charge at up to 120 kw, which can still deliver about 100 miles of range in less than half an hour.
2019 Audi E-tron – first drive report – Calirornia, May 2019
2019 Audi E-tron – first drive report – Calirornia, May 2019
2019 Audi E-tron – first drive report – Calirornia, May 2019
With smaller batteries, the weight will also fall by 265 pounds.
The E-tron 50 will also have a less powerful motor, rated at 308 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, down from 402 hp and 490 lb-ft. Audi says acceleration will be 7.0 seconds from 0-62 mph, and top speed will be limited to 118 mph.
Otherwise, the shorter-range E-tron 50 will drive just like the regular E-tron, with its three regenerative braking settings and progressive braking.
Deliveries of the new model are expected to start in the first quarter of 2020 in, among many markets, the UK, where it will cost about $12,000 (10,000 British pounds) less than the E-tron 55.
The smaller battery pack could have an additional benefit for Audi. The company has struggled to reach production targets for the E-tron at its Belgium factory after reports of battery shortages and price disputes from supplier LG Chem. Using fewer cells in a shorter range model could allow Audi to boost E-tron production by spreading its available cells over more cars.