I recently drove the Audi E-Tron. During the press presentation, Audi presented an interesting chart. The story it tells is one of electric vehicle bragging rights. On one axis you have charging power. The other axis displays battery state of charge. Five vehicles are then compared, each one sharing a different charging profile. This display leaves me wondering if this is the next potential bit of braggadocio afforded to future enthusiasts?
The impetus for showing this chart is that it displays just how well and quickly the E-Tron takes a charge. Right away, an E-Tron that’s plugged into a 150kW-capable DC Fast Charger, will accelerate to its top charging speed. It will then hold that speed onward to around the 80% state of charge mark. Then it will slow down as it approaches 100% full.
By comparison, a Tesla at an all-new V3 Superchargers, quickly speeds to 250kW but only holds there for a brief bit of time before slowly working down as the battery fills up. Audi is very proud of that flat charging profile. Tesla loyalists are quick to point miles per minute of charging is a better metric, and they make some good points. But it’s still impressive to see how well Audi’s battery pack system can handle a powerful charging station.
Is this sort of chart going to replace a dyno sheet amongst automotive enthusiasts? We’ll still have torque and horsepower, but charging profiles could become the defacto “look at what my car can do” down the road.
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