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Audi debuts e-tron GT: 293 mile range, 155 MPH top speed, 590 HP, $99,900 starting price

Audi e-tron GT (Credit: Audi)

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German automaker Audi has unveiled its newest all-electric vehicle: the e-Tron GT. The e-tron offers between 269 and 293 miles of WLTP-estimated range with several different variants, a top speed of 155 MPH, and a 3.3 second 0-62 MPH time. The new e-tron will start at $99,000.

Audi unveiled the e-tron during a live event on February 9th, detailing the exterior and interior design, as well as the vehicle’s specifications and performance figures. The e-tron GT aims to bring world-class performance to an all-electric platform as Audi begins to transition to a more broad offering of EVs for the future, with plans to offer more than 30 cars by 2025. Audi says 20 of these cars will be fully-electric.

Audi e-tron GT: the embodiment of Audi

The introduction of the e-tron GT “perfectly embodies Audi’s innovative and pioneering spirit,” Hildegard Wortman, Member of the Board of Management of Audi AG for Sales and Marketing, said. The e-tron will offer four-wheel steering, along with torque vectoring for improved handling.

With range offerings between 269 and 293 miles (433 and 472 kilometers), the e-tron will offer plenty of driving range for travelers far and wide. Additionally, Audi stated that the vehicle’s 95 kWh battery pack would have the ability to charge from 0 to 80% in less than 23 minutes when plugged into a 700kW station. Audi focused heavily on aerodynamics to complement the range ratings, and stated the vehicle has a .24 drag coefficient.

Audi e-tron RS GT: the most powerful Audi ever

Audi’s premier, top of the line GT variant will be the RS. Its 0-60 MPH in 3.1 seconds is lightning fast and will compete with some of the quickest electric cars in the world. Additionally, a top speed of 155 MPH gives it a face-melting maximum rate of travel, although it will rarely be reached by the traditional driver.

Niko Rosberg, a former Formula One World Champion noted that the RS GT’s performance was one of a kind. The four-wheel steering system combined with the performance specifications offered one of the most unique driving experiences from a production car he’s ever experienced. Rosberg spoke highly of the GT’s performance variant, adding that it was unbelievable to drive an all-electric powertrain with the power, acceleration, and speed that was reminiscent of his F1 days.

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Sustainable interior materials for unmatched environmental consciousness

One of the main focuses of Audi moving forward is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the vehicle’s life cycle. This begins with the manufacturing process, which Audi detailed in its goals to be CO2 neutral by 2025. The e-tron GT’s manufacturing facility is fully-powered by renewable energy, making the production process Earth-friendly.

Additionally, Audi looked to use sustainable materials within its interior. One focus was to eliminate waste within the vehicle by using sustainably-sourced materials that could be recycled when the car reaches the end of its cycle. The seats within the e-tron GT use around 99% of zero-waste materials, making it one of the most sustainable interiors in the automotive market.

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT starts at $99,900 plus destination fees, which haven’t been defined by the automaker yet. The RS e-tron GT will be $139,900, Autoblog says. The car is expected to begin sales later this summer.

Audi’s full unveiling of the e-tron GT is available below.

https://youtu.be/StkkIdBY5r0

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla China focuses on local deliveries as Q1 enters final month

Tesla’s estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks.

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Credit: Tesla Malaysia/X

Tesla’s delivery wait times in China have dropped to some of their shortest levels in years, an apparent hint that Giga Shanghai has largely cleared its order backlog and currently has strong production capacity.

As of February 26, estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks, as per observations of Tesla China’s official webpages by CNEV Post

That marks a notable shift from the several-week or even two-month waits seen late last year.

The one-to-three-week delivery window suggests that Giga Shanghai is likely focusing on the local market, at least for now as the company enters the final month of the first quarter. Tesla China typically spends the first half of the quarter catering to markets that import vehicles from Giga Shanghai. 

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Historically, when Tesla’s wait times in China compress to their shortest levels, the company often follows with fresh market actions.

In past cycles, shortened delivery timelines were followed by promotional activity. After delivery windows narrowed to one to three weeks in early 2024, for example, Tesla later introduced an RMB 10,000 instant discount on Model Y final payments that year.

To spur local demand, Tesla recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing offers through March 31. This marks the second extension of the policy this year.

So far, posts from the Tesla community suggest that interest in the company’s vehicles among consumers in China is still strong. Videos of busy delivery centers across China have been shared on social media.

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China’s competitive EV landscape has evolved as of late. With regulators discouraging aggressive price wars, automakers are increasingly leaning on financing incentives instead of direct price cuts. Major players including BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have introduced similar loan extensions and promotional financing packages.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company closes Tunnel Vision Challenge

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long.

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Credit: The Boring Company/X

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has officially closed submissions for its Tunnel Vision Challenge, confirming that a total of 487 entries were received before the deadline.

In a post on X, the company wrote, “Tunnel Vision Challenge is closed! 487 entries received – TBC team is excited to go through them all!” The company added that “We will select the top ~15 in the next week, and reach out with follow-up questions,” and that an “overall winner will be announced on March 23.”

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long with a 12-foot inner diameter. The winning entry will have its tunnel constructed free of charge.

Submissions could range from Loop passenger tunnels to freight, pedestrian, utility, or water tunnels. The only requirement was that the project clearly demonstrate how tunneling would meaningfully improve transportation or infrastructure between two points.

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Just days before the deadline, the company provided an interim update noting that 407 entries had already been received. “Update on the Tunnel Vision Challenge – 1 mile of free tunnel! With 3 days left to submit, 407 entries have been received. Great to see enthusiasm for tunnels!” The Boring Company wrote at the time on X. By the close of submissions, the total had grown closer to 500 entries, hinting at strong interest in underground transportation solutions.

Entries are being evaluated on usefulness, stakeholder engagement, and technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility. Applicants were required to quantify projected benefits, such as time saved per rider or cost savings per shipment, and provide maps showing proposed alignments and other details. Submissions that included geotechnical or subsurface data are expected to receive additional consideration.

The Boring Company will fund the tunnel’s construction itself, though related infrastructure costs may be discussed with the winning team. The company also retains discretion to modify or cancel the challenge.

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Cybertruck

Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.

Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However,  Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.

What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:

Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.

It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.

The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.

It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.

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