The Audi e-tron and the Winter | DRO4CARS
Does the Audi e-tron and The EVs Are Suitable for Driving in The Winter?
Audi released a story about a Norwegian family
who bought their Audi e-tron in 2019. The story is all about the e-tron and the
winter as that family lives in Norway so we have to keep that winter climate in
mind. The woman all the time adores the Audi e-tron and the whole copy is
created in a way of advertisement spirit. Here is the place where I'm starting to ask questions. The best answers are coming from people who have experience
with electric cars during the winter, if possible far away from the PR teams of both the producer and dealerships. I’ll
follow the story and I’ll ask some questions that everyone should ask before
buying an electric car and also I’ll share my opinion.
 |
The Audi e-tron and the winter. Well, there is not much clearance that e-tron offers. So, if there are uncleaned roads it will be difficult to continue and it looks very easy to get stuck in the snow. | Image: AUDI AG |
How Does an Electric Car Work in the Nordic Cold?
This is a very interesting question and I
expect a lot of comments from people who’re living in the North region of the
world. I have autumn experience with a 2019
Hyundai Kona Electric and I wasn’t so impressed with the range. During the
winter I don’t think that any electric car will do the job. Moreover, I do know
people who returned their EVs and had bought something with an internal
combustion engine. What is your
experience?
 |
| The Audi e-tron. When the road is clean it looks easy and fun to drive an e-tron but in the real-life do you're going to feel so confident to drive an e-tron in the winter. It's possible to get in a winter storm - what about that? | Image: AUDI AG |
What’s the Story Behind Choosing the Audi e-tron?
The family of Liselotte Lunde (36) wanted to
drive an electric car for a long time. They have been looking around but there
wasn’t such a car that covers their requirements. The story explains that
Lunde’s family, which now counts five, had high standards for their family car.
As a family, they need enough space, for prams, bicycles, skis, and sleds.
Otherwise, the family looks also and for the range. Suddenly in 2019, the Audi
e-tron became their best EV option that covers everything they are looking for
so they were some of the very first Audi e-tron buyers. Their choice was the
Audi e-tron 55 quattro. How does this
story sound to you?
 |
| The Audi e-tron and how it climbs some icy roads. These guys have a team around them to go in clear winter weather. You'll be hopefully alone or with your family. Depending on how far you want to go prepare even more time to wait for road assistance in case of bad weather conditions. If you have a car with an internal combustion engine the stationery fuel consumption will be around 0.8 liters per hour. Having at least 30 liters you could stick in the winter for 35-37 hours in a warm car which is enough time to await the arrival of the road assistance. How much time you will have to warm the car with the batteries? | Image: AUDI AG | |
What Does the Audi e-tron 55 quatro mean?
This is how the different Audi e-tron versions are marked. On March 1st, 2022, the Audi e-tron is available with the 50 quattro which has 230 kW peak electrical power, and the other option is called the Audi e-tron 55 quattro which has 300 kW peak electrical power.
 |
| On the rear door of this Audi e-tron is written: e-tron Electric has gone Audi. If they aren't four electric motors for the so-called quattro this 2,520 kg SUV won't move an inch forward. | Image: AUDI AG |
How Cool is the Audi e-tron?
What’s The Weight
of the Audi e-tron compared to The Audi Q7?
The heartwarming story continues with an explanation
of how cool is the Audi e-tron for the cabin. Lunde says:
“It was important for us to be able to drive to the cabin without stopping, even in the winter,” and continues “The electric four-wheel drive in the Audi e-tron gives us safety. We are never worried about not arriving at our destination, regardless of the conditions. And it is especially important for us now, with a baby in the back seat,”.
 |
| The Audi e-tron - if you watch the pictures it looks great but when taking some winter and clearance points in count it could be difficult to live with an e-tron only. Well, if the mountains are around 100 km from your main home then it'll be nice to have the first fully-electric Audi, called e-tron. | Image: AUDI AG |
Looking at the Audi e-tron I’m
wondering does this SUV would be able to make an inch forward if there aren’t four
electric motors?! The weight of the e-tron is 2,520 kg which is a lot for an
SUV. Just for comparison, the Audi Q7 weight is 2,140 kg. So, adorning the four
electric motors could be a point to think about. That Audi e-tron is heavy so
the estimated range probably not be the same and even less during the cold
weather. Maybe the e-tron could be difficult to handle the promoted range. So, if
you’re looking forward to the Audi e-tron or any other electric vehicle it will
be nice to get some experience with that car for a while like a week or two,
during the winter. Thus you’ll have a real experience in a daily routine and
even going in the mountain.
 |
| If you have the opportunity to use the Audi e-tron with your lifestyle for a couple of days, a week, or two, it will be better. This is the only way to see whether the e-tron is a perfect fit for you. | Image: AUDI AG |
What’s the Audi e-tron Electric Range?
At the beginning of the production of the Audi e-tron, the
electric range is 417 km / 259 miles according to the WLTP standard. In the
autumn of 2021, the e-tron electric range increased with a software update to
436 km / 271 miles.
 |
| Audi e-tron rearview and the winter. At the back, the e-tron has a little bit more clearance but still not enough and who knows how much clearance will be if the trunk is full of luggage. | Image: AUDI AG |
Lunde explained that they have charged only 80%
of the battery of their Audi e-tron. This means that their cabin is not far away
from their home. Her family has charging options both at home and at the cabin.
 |
| The Audi e-tron and the Wallbox. | Image: AUDI AG |
Moreover, having the Audi e-tron with an 80%
charge battery means that the total range would be something about 348.8
kilometers if their e-tron had the software update for the range.
 |
| The Audi e-tron charging socket. | Image: AUDI AG |
How the Audi e-tron is Warm Up During the Cold Winter?
From a technical point of view, the Audi e-tron
has four thermal circuits. The heating inside the e-tron comes from a heat pump
that takes the energy from both the propulsion components and the battery and
the environment. Pierre Woltmann, who has been responsible for the development
of the thermal control of the high-voltage battery explains that this way of
heating the Audi e-tron is three times more efficient than a traditional heater
with electric heating elements. Of course, it’s much better to take the existing
heat and use it instead of creating a new one.
 |
| The Audi e-tron is the first-ever Audi and maybe one of the first vehicles that use side-view cameras instead of mirrors. | Image: AUDI AG |
Heating Tips to Warm Up the Audi e-tron or Your Electric Car
Sometimes the PR teams have experienced a lack
of inspiration or they are asking themselves how to promote something but to
not look like a promotion. 99% of the cases it looks like a promotion. You can’t
hide it and something more, if you have tried to hide the promotion then it becomes
more obvious than ever. And here it goes:
If we haven’t had time to use pre-heating, we use the heating in the steering wheel and heat the seats for maximum comfort from the start of a trip. And on the shortest trips this is sufficient,” says Lunde.
 |
| The Audi e-tron front view in the summer scenery. | Image: AUDI AG |
It sounds like for the very first time heated
seats and a heated steering wheel are available for the Audi e-tron. You will
never think about using the heated seats and if available the heated steering wheel
of the car. You can still use gloves during the winter to protect your hands.
Don’t worry it’s just a way to say the Audi e-tron has these features that are
also available in the BMW 5 Series E39 model expecting the heating of the
steering wheel. This 5 Series has both pre-heating and pre-ventilation as well
as three-stage seat heating for the front seats.
 |
| For sure driving, the Audi e-tron in the summer will be much more fun instead in winter conditions. | Image: AUDI AG |
However, the Audi e-tron could be pre-heated
using the Wallbox. This means that the e-tron is warming up during the charging.
For the Nordic countries, the Audi e-tron has increased capacity for the
heating battery and it’s part of the Winter Package, available in other countries
too. So, if you are looking for an Audi e-tron by heart then it’s better to
know these features. Moreover, even the Audi e-tron, the pre-heated car will
be heated, de-frozen, and ready to go during the cold winter mornings, if you’re
scared by the cold weather.
 |
| The Audi e-tron highway driving. Clean and dry roads are fine for the e-tron but increasing the speed decrease the electric range even faster than the internal combustion engine. | Image: AUDI AG | |
Driving the Audi e-tron With Active Navigation, hm?!
Well, I’m from these persons who know where we’re
going and it’s very rare to input an address inside the navigation systems. No
matter the advertisement line of the press release that Audi brings up – this particular
piece of advice is good to be followed especially when we’re talking about
electric cars and particularly the Audi e-tron. Driving with the active navigation
on, here is why.
 |
| The Audi e-tron interior. | Image: AUDI AG |
Why Driving with Active Navigation Could Help?
Thus the Audi e-tron calculates the range that
it has. The e-tron takes traffic information and it can suggest better routes –
avoiding some incidents, and traffic jams, and showing recharging points if necessary.
Well, having a real car, with an internal combustion engine, will always make
a living fine because you can stop and very fast to refuel the tank.
Otherwise, if you want to play it modern, smart, and cool then you need to use
all connectivity tools because if you went out of charge the recharging process
will take some time depending on too many factors where you wanna go; what’s
the distance; what’s the traffic; what’s the speed you have to maintain, and so
on. Keep in mind that at higher speeds the battery goes empty fast and compared
to the internal combustion engine, even faster.
 |
| The Audi e-tron navigation system can help you by showing traffic jams and offering the best routes that safes electric range. Just under the navigation screen is the climate control display. | Image: AUDI AG |
Charging Options for Electric Vehicles
Having any thoughts about living with an
electric car either the Audi e-tron or something else, you have to consider the
recharging points. How many recharging points do you have around all places you
want to go now and in the following 5 years. As a person who lives around the
mountains there would be so much fun to go to the mountains. Does using an electric
vehicle will be easy to do winter outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding
or just hiking to the peak? Usually, I
drive between 450 and 500 km, sometimes more, with a lot of highways and hill
climb along the way. Maintaining a good amount of electric range means driving
slower even below the established speed limits which extended the overall
traveling time and it may be dangerous driving. The last point could be an even
bigger problem than the fewer charging. The recharging time will be about double
that of the regular brake for a cup of coffee, which is around 15 minutes.
 |
| The Audi e-tron city driving. If you're going to use the e-tron in city driving you'll be fine. Short-range usage will be more than enough for occasional driving and having re-charging options both at home and at the office, it will be extremely easy to enjoy the pure electric car. Something more, even in the winter? - Oh, no! | Image: AUDI AG |
Lunde and her family are made their living with
very good options for recharging at home. When they have longer trips they occasionally
have to charge along the way – I can’t believe that there are people who still
write with so much pathos to tell that there are fast recharging points that will
make you live fine with the Audi e-tron or any other electric vehicle. Avoid
the advertisement sense and think twice.
 |
| Electric vehicles, including the Audi e-tron, are most suitable for city driving. | Image: AUDI AG | |
Lunde’s Always Want to Drive an Electric Vehicle and She Says – No Way Back
“The most important learning from our transition to an electric car is how easy it is in everyday life. Inserting the charging cable when we park in the evening and using the ‘myAudi’ app to set departure times are things we just do and no longer think about,” says Lunde.
“We discovered that Audi had made a modern and smart car when they first arrived in the EV market…”
Audi e-tron has really convinced us that electric cars do work, even though a Norwegian winter. This is the future and we will never choose anything other than an all-electric car again,” Lunde concludes.
 |
| Short trips with the Audi e-tron are also fine. | Image: AUDI AG |
Finally the Truth About the Audi e-tron
I don’t know whether such lady Liselotte
Lunde exists in real life or Audi’s PR team has thought of this sweety story just
to promote how cool is the Audi e-tron during the winter and how people use
their e-tron even in Nordic countries. The truth is at the end when they said that from 2019 to the beginning of 2022, Lunde’s family have driven their
Audi e-tron for over 30,000 kilometers. Having just over 30,000 kilometers for
2 years is not a good range at all. This is one more red flag about thinking of
buying an electric vehicle.
What is your experience with an EV? What do you think?
 |
| From a practical point of view, electric vehicles are not a good option. From an emotional perspective, the Audi e-tron could bring you some enjoyment if it's suitable for your lifestyle. | Image: AUDI AG |
 |
| The Audi e-tron has digital matrix headlights. | Image: AUDI AG |
Read on DRO4CARS.com:
The Honda E is another Electric Vehicle to Read About on www.dro4cars.com
 |
| Read about the 2020 Honda E on DRO4CARS.com |
