For those interested in saving the environment, lowering their annual fuel costs, and still enjoying a sporty ride, the all-new Audi A3 e-tron® is here to answer the bell. Boasting the potential for 80 MPG under the right driving conditions and the Audi luxury brand name, the new A3 e-tron® has arrived at Audi Mentor and now's the time to test a sporty plug-in hybrid for a change.
Find the Plug, if You Can
Plug-in hybrids are not new to American streets, here in Ohio or across the country in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. The Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt have been on the market for years, but you can always spot a plug-in hybrid if you look closely enough. In addition to their gas doors, these vehicles have noticeable plug ports to recharge the electric batteries.
The designers on Audi took the A3 e-tron® to a new level, cleverly hiding the plug port in the front grill of the car behind the Audi logo, so you won't notice the plug-in spot and your friends will have no idea at first glance that your sporty new ride is actually an environmentally friendly automobile.
A New Direction for Audi
The Audi line of luxury autos in the United States has never included a five-door sporty hatchback before. The A3 e-tron® has been years in the making, and Audi brought smooth style lines and an overall sporty look to this car that defies its status as an electric hybrid vehicle.
Under the hood you'll find a 150-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cyclinder engine, a 76-kilowatt liquid-cooled electric motor, and even an S-tronic six speed dual-clutch transmission. That's not a typo either, this front-wheel drive vehicle is an electric hybrid with the dual-clutch transmission that can move the car (under electric power alone) up to and beyond 65 MPH. Let's see a Prius match that get-up-and-go.
The combination of power, speed, and fuel-efficiency are possible because of the gasoline engine. You'll enjoy impressive MPG behind the wheel of e-tron® on city streets, but when you want to punch it on the freeway you're ability to do so comes from the engine, which provides maximum power for accelerating.
Delivering on an Eco-Friendly Promise, without Compromising
The last thing many Audi enthusiasts wanted to see from the A3 e-tron® was a fuel-efficient vehicle bearing the Audi brand, but stripped of all the qualities and performance that make an Audi the performance vehicle most drivers expect. By in large, the A3 e-tron® delivers on Audi's promise. This electric hybrid is capable of going zero to 60 in 7.6 seconds, but it can also cruise on pure electric power for 16 miles on an 8.8 kWh battery pack. Compare that to the 50-mile range the 2016 Chevy Volt claims, but requires an 18.4 kWh battery to deliver on.
Best of all, you can adapt this Audi A3 e-tron® to your driving conditions. Audi included four driving modes for the e-tron®. These include EV, hybrid, hold battery, and charge battery. The hold battery mode allows you to forego battery power by going full gasoline, while the other modes offer you the chance to tweak for the situation (heavy city traffic vs. cruising on the freeway).
When you get home, simply plug your A3 e-tron® in and the electric motor is fully charged in 8 hours. Need a quicker shot of juice? The outlet-to-Level 2 adapter cuts the charge time down to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The Audi A3 e-tron® is now available at Audi Mentor, so there's no better time to see what the future of electric hybrids can be. Stop by for a test drive today and experience the e-tron® for yourself.
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