The e-tron SUV will be the company’s first fully electric vehicle and it will be launched along with four other cars.
At the launch of the company’s new A8, Audi boss, Rupert Stadler, confirmed that five new cars will be launched by the brand in 2018. These will be the e-tron all-electric SUV, the A1, Q3, A6 and the A7.
The A8 was the "starting point for its large product initiative," according to Stadler. The car comes with autonomous driving systems that will filter down the range in the future.
The e-tron SUV may be shown at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show in September. The company is focussing on a three-pronged strategy for what it calls the "future of mobility."
MyAudi, which is the first prong, points to connectivity and how users interact with their automobiles. "Audi AI (artificial intelligence used in the context of autonomous or piloted driving), the second prong, is the technology for 'intelligence and forward thinking'," claimed Stadler. "AI thinks for you, supports you and creates a new level of independence," he said.
The third prong is Audi’s e-tron, for all-electric vehicles, which also will see an increase in the number of plug-in hybrids.