If you were waiting for the Audi E-Tron GT as the affordable version of the Porsche Taycan, we apologize for the bad news: it is not. While you can already buy a Taycan in Germany for €83,520, the new electric GT from Audi starts at €99,800 in that country. The RS Audi E-Tron is even more expensive: €138,200.
If you check the numbers and specs with more attention, you’ll probably dispute that by saying the equivalent Porsche Taycan to the E-Tron GT Quattro would be the Taycan 4S. The AWD electric Porsche costs €106,487, or €6,687 more than its Audi twin. The problem with that reasoning is what Quattro represents to Audi.
All-wheel drive is an identity trait for the Ingolstadt company. Although an E-Tron GT powered just by its rear wheels is possible, it is very unlikely to happen. If we were to have a cheaper version of this car, it would be a Quattro costing less than the Taycan. If that didn’t happen from the start, that’s because this Taycan from another mother costs as much to produce as its platform partner.
If the pictures have not already given you the dimension of how close these two cars are, the technical specifications should do the trick. The E-Tron GT is 4.99 m (196.5 inches) long – the Taycan is 4.96 m (195.4 inches) long.
Although it is slightly longer than the Porsche, their wheelbase – at 2.90 m (114.2 inches) – and width – 1.96 m (77.4 inches) – are the same. The Audi is slightly taller: 1.41 m (55.5 inches) against 1.38 m (54.4 inches). The trunk holds 405 liters (14.3 cubic feet) of space – 2 liters less than the 407-liter (14.4-cubic feet) Taycan trunk – and the frunk can carry 81 l (2.9 cubic feet) of stuff. The Porsche’s frunk is also slightly bigger: 84 liters (3 cubic feet).
When it comes to power and torque, the E-Tron GT Quattro offers 350 kW (469 hp) and 630 Nm (464.7 pound-feet), which take it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 245 km/h (152.2 mph). The Porsche 4S’s numbers are respectively 390 kW (523 hp) and 640 Nm (472 pound-feet).
Predictably, the RS E-Tron GT is more powerful, at 440 kW (590 hp) and 830 Nm (612.2 pound-feet). That allows it to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.3 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph).
The RS version of the electric Audi is comparable to the Taycan Turbo, which offers 500 kW (590 hp) and 850 Nm (626.9 pound-feet). The Porsche costs €153,016, but it goes from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h (161.6 mph).
More Audi E-Tron GT News:
Just like the Taycan, the Audi E-Tron GT has an 800V system that allows it to charge at up to 270 kW. That would allow it to recover 100 km (62.1 mi) of range in only five minutes. With a 86 kWh (93 kWh gross) battery pack composed of 396 pouch cells distributed in 33 modules of 12 batteries each, the E-Tron GT Quattro would have a 488 km (298.3 miles) WLTP range.
Gallery: Audi RS e-tron GT
With a cost that is not much more attractive than that of the equivalent Taycan, we now wonder what Audi’s marketing strategy will be to get the E-Tron GT going. The larger dealership network may help it achieve higher sales volumes: a lower price tag would help it even more.
Gallery: Audi e-tron GT quattro
