The fully electric Audi e-tron – piloted by EV advocate, advisor, and U.S. presenter of “Fully Charged LIVE,” Chelsea Sexton – towed a 4,000-pound trailer with the hidden gem inside. It took advantage of 150 kW fast-chargers throughout the trip to assure a speedy arrival, since such chargers can replenish 80% the e-tron's battery pack to 80% in just 30 minutes.

Editor's Update: We've crunched the numbers below since we have yet to hear back from Audi. Take a look at how towing may impact EVs like the e-tron, as well as our estimated trip time.

The team pulling the iconic GM EV1 relied on fast chargers from Electrify America and Francis Solar charging networks. Sexton shared:

“EVs have long been a community-driven technology, as evidenced by the initiative of the Oklahoma Electric Auto Association to bring this iconic vehicle to our event.

I’m grateful to the Audi teams and Tulsa Tech for their support and was excited to hop into the Audi e-tron for the journey.”

Audi provided the following chart entitled 'Audi e-tron trip by the numbers':

Trailer with payload total weight

4,000 lbs.

Trip distance

504 mi. one way

Average trip temperature

35° F

Trip conditions

Mostly rain

Average moving speed

60 mph

Average efficiency with trailer

1.3 mi/kWh

The e-tron features a 95 kWh battery pack, though only about 84 kWh is available for use. So, if you look at the above data (1.3 miles per kWh), the e-tron should have been able to travel about 108 miles on a single charge.

Based on the Audi's EPA-estimated range, it can travel 204 miles on a full charge. This gives us a good idea of how much towing may impact EVs. For practical purposes, we'll say the e-tron took about a 50-percent hit with the 4,000-pound load. However, let's not forget about the cold conditions, which also have an impact.

Based on the above rough estimates, the team may have had to stop and charge about four or more times over the course of the trip. Under the best circumstances, a Tulsa to Austin trip would take you about seven hours, at least based on Google Maps data. However, even if there were only four stops to charge, and those were each just 30 minutes, this towing trip could have taken some nine hours or more.

While just assumed at this point, since we have no official indication of how long the trip took in terms of hours, there could have actually been five or six charging stops, especially with only charging to 80 percent (it doesn't make any sense to charge to 100 percent aside from the initial charge, since the taper means that last 20 percent of charge is going to take long enough that it makes the total trip time much longer). That means about 86 miles per charge. With that assumed, we're estimating at least five, but likely six 30-minute charging stops. This may equate to about a 10-hour road trip.

With all of the above said, we don't have an official reply from Audi related to how long the trip actually took in terms of hours. We've reached out to Audi for that information. Once we have more details, we'll update this article.

Audi ONE and Audi of America director Cody Thacker concluded:

“We wanted to pay tribute to the EV that started it all, with the Audi e-tron towing it on our 500-mile journey from Tulsa to Austin. It’s easy to go electric today, and the e-tron’s capabilities show it’s more than capable of going the distance with a heavy trailer in tow, even in cold and windy weather conditions. We’re thankful to have partners like Audi Tulsa provide support and logistics and make this road trip possible.”

Scroll down and follow the press release link below to read Audi's full article.

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Audi e-tron brings the first modern electric vehicle to 'Fully Charged LIVE'

  • Audi e-tron SUV towed the first modern EV more than 500 miles from Tulsa Tech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Austin, Texas, for "Fully Charged LIVE"
  • The all-electric Audi e-tron towed 4,000-lb. trailer, utilizing 150 kW fast-chargers along journey — replenishing 80% of battery’s charge in 30 minutes
  • Towing team included Audi Tulsa and Oklahoma Chapter of the Electric Auto Association

HERNDON, Va., February 13, 2020 – The Audi e-tron demonstrated how far EVs have come over the last quarter century, recently delivering the first modern EV to “Fully Charged LIVE” in Austin, Texas. The e-tron towed the trailer and payload, weighing a combined 4000 lbs., through the Oklahoma rain with comfort and efficiency.

Audi Tulsa and Audi ONE, Audi of America’s Herndon-based electrification strategy team, supported the all-volunteer Oklahoma Chapter of the Electric Auto Association in bringing the EV to "Fully Charged LIVE," picking up their payload from Tulsa Tech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and hauling it more than 500 miles to the Circuit of the Americas, where the event was hosted.

Using CCS compatible fast chargers on both the Electrify America and Francis Solar charging networks, the Audi e-tron was able to replenish 80% of its battery’s capacity in just 30 minutes with high-speed 150 kW charging. With all the capabilities customers expect of a premium midsize SUV, the e-tron, when properly equipped, is rated to tow 4,000 lbs. and comes with standard quattro all-wheel drive and air suspension.

“EVs have long been a community-driven technology, as evidenced by the initiative of the Oklahoma Electric Auto Association to bring this iconic vehicle to our event,” said Chelsea Sexton, U.S. presenter of the “Fully Charged LIVE.”

Sexton added, “I’m grateful to the Audi teams and Tulsa Tech for their support and was excited to hop into the Audi e-tron for the journey.”

“We wanted to pay tribute to the EV that started it all, with the Audi e-tron towing it on our 500-mile journey from Tulsa to Austin,” said Cody Thacker, director, Audi ONE, Audi of America. “It’s easy to go electric today, and the e-tron’s capabilities show it’s more than capable of going the distance with a heavy trailer in tow, even in cold and windy weather conditions. We’re thankful to have partners like Audi Tulsa provide support and logistics and make this road trip possible.”

The Audi e-tron SUV is the first all-electric Audi vehicle offered in North America, having gone on sale last May. With up to 402 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque in boost mode, the five-passenger Audi e-tron is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in a quiet 5.5 seconds. It is priced starting from an MSRP of $74,800*.

“Fully Charged LIVE” is a two-day event launched by British actor, presenter and writer, Robert Llewellyn ("Junkyard Wars" and "Red Dwarf"). The Austin event featured an array of more than 100 electric vehicles, mobility experts and clean energy influencers. Its more than 3,500 attendees had the opportunity to see many of the latest vehicles and technologies in the EV and mobility space and enjoyed more than 30 presentations and panels on concerning topics like decarbonization of energy and transportation to pollution reduction.

Audi e-tron trip by the numbers:

Trailer with payload total weight

4,000 lbs.

Trip distance

504 mi. one way

Average trip temperature

35° F

Trip conditions

Mostly rain

Average moving speed

60 mph

Average efficiency with trailer

1.3 mi/kWh

 

ABOUT AUDI OF AMERICA
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.

ABOUT FULLY CHARGED

Created by actor, presenter and writer, Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge), Fully Charged has produced more than 450 YouTube episodes. As well as two weekly episodes, and a podcast, Fully Charged has inspired an award-winning exhibition in the UK and the business is exporting its LIVE format to North America in 2020 and to Northern Europe in 2021. ** While 24.36% of the Fully Charged audience own a pure electric vehicle, around 70% have yet to make the move; at the next changeover 77.44% of the total audience intend to purchase an EV. Meanwhile, 83.74% are interested in installing ‘new energy’ technologies in their home and of those considering switching energy provider, 68.91% are considering a ‘green energy’ supplier. ***

*Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) does not include $995 destination charge, taxes, title or additional fees. Dealer sets actual sale price.

** These figures are drawn from the 7,723 respondents to the Fully Charged Survey conducted in November 2018.

*** Further information on the channel can be found at FullyCharged.Show

Vehicle range based on EPA estimates and testing procedures. Actual range will vary based on driving conditions. For more information, visit https://www.fueleconomy.gov/.

Audi e-tron is rated to tow up to 4,000 lbs. with available towing package. Do not exceed factory recommendation. Vehicle towed was a 1996 GM EV1, sans battery, weighing approximately 1,600 lbs., plus trailer weight. See owner’s manual for additional details.

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