Audi A3 E-tron

[a3_phil]

So for me it means it costs about £1.20 to fill with electric? Not too bad. Also if my company allows me to hook up at work then it will be a free ride home too.


@a3_phil If you had your car through VWFS it's very easy, I think I've done it about 4 times!

Yeah it should be! I'll be able to fill it up at work too and as the office has the utilities included in the rent and is 28 miles from home I'll hopefully be able to drive home for free!

At this stage though I really need to test-drive it as I'm keen to get a feel for it and see if the reduced boot space is going to cause a problem.

Unfortunately I'm not with VWFS but I did lease directly through my local (Vindis) dealer so hopefully they'll make a decent offer.

For reference what sort of penalty are you looking at to change cars mid-lease?

 

[coddy85]

It appears we have much in common @a3_phil ! I am pretty much 30 miles door-to-door at work. I am actually test driving it tomorrow for 24 hours, I'm hoping to take some pictures and write a report. The one thing I have thought about is that Audi reports a 20-30% reduction in charge over the 8 year warranty cycle, it may mean I don't make it all the way to work all the time! I'm also assuming it's dependant on headlights/Air con/stereo etc.

Because I'm not on lease, I don't know the penalty. But on PCP, they tend to value your car and just offset the cost with the current settlement figure. On PCP after at least 6-12 months, this normally means you break even + original deposit.

 

[a3_phil]

It appears we have much in common @a3_phil ! I am pretty much 30 miles door-to-door at work. I am actually test driving it tomorrow for 24 hours, I'm hoping to take some pictures and write a report. The one thing I have thought about is that Audi reports a 20-30% reduction in charge over the 8 year warranty cycle, it may mean I don't make it all the way to work all the time! I'm also assuming it's dependant on headlights/Air con/stereo etc.

Because I'm not on lease, I don't know the penalty. But on PCP, they tend to value your car and just offset the cost with the current settlement figure. On PCP after at least 6-12 months, this normally means you break even + original deposit.

Very interested to hear how you get on!

If you could snap a couple of pics of the boot-space for me that would be greatly appreciated.

I'm planning on sticking to the leasing model at least for a few years so I'd only be likely to keep the car for three years before changing again so hopefully any loss in charging capacity will be minimal.

 

[coddy85]

Very interested to hear how you get on!

If you could snap a couple of pics of the boot-space for me that would be greatly appreciated.

I'm planning on sticking to the leasing model at least for a few years so I'd only be likely to keep the car for three years before changing again so hopefully any loss in charging capacity will be minimal.

Boot space is one concern of mine, My A3 Saloon isn't big enough to fit the little one's pram into. Is there anything in particular you want me to fit in there for reference?

 

[a3_phil]

Boot space is one concern of mine, My A3 Saloon isn't big enough to fit the little one's pram into. Is there anything in particular you want me to fit in there for reference?

Unless you happen to have four large hockey bags and a child's buggy to try I'll settle for pics!

 

[coddy85]

Unless you happen to have four large hockey bags and a child's buggy to try I'll settle for pics!

I'm not a hockey man, no. But I do have a large pram, it's a Stokke Xplory (if you know what that is?) So I can get that in there.

 

[a3_phil]

Yeah that looks pretty similar in shape to ours so that's be interesting to see.

Coming from a Mondeo the A3 was a huge step-down in boot-space so I'm really on a knife edge as to how much more I can sacrifice!

 

[pjuk]

I too was concerned about the boot space and asked to have a regular A3 next to the etron and to be honest couldn't see the difference. According to the specs you lose around 100L of space i.e. 0.1m^3 which is approx 13cm of height across the area of the boot. Both boots looked the same width and depth, as well as height. I'm guessing it is due to the lack of space under the removable floor. FYI I managed to fit a Joolz day pram and cot (same size as a bugaboo and probably smaller than the stokke) in the boot with space say for a couple of large 60-80L ruck sacks.

 

[h5djr]

I assume the boot space will be the same as my 184 TDI quattro where the floor can only be in the higher position and cannot be lowered. If you need any measurement just let me know. I have to use a mobility scooter for longer 'walking' trips and my current one fits into the boot OK. The main difference is just the loss on 100mm in height of the boot space. I assume the e-tron will be the same.

 

[a3_phil]

I assume the boot space will be the same as my 184 TDI quattro where the floor can only be in the higher position and cannot be lowered. If you need any measurement just let me know. I have to use a mobility scooter for longer 'walking' trips and my current one fits into the boot OK. The main difference is just the loss on 100mm in height of the boot space. I assume the e-tron will be the same.

Yeah, I'm concerned that you actually lose more than that but the proof will be in the photos I suppose.

That said my dealer has just told me that to chang mid-lease, and particularly this early (3 months!) into the lease would make it just uneconomical for me.

Kind of what I expected given how much depreciation the cars suffers initially though.

Still I'll follow this thread with interest for next time around...

 

[coddy85]

I found this picture from the boot, the bag is the charging cables bag!

 

[jetron]

@coddy85, I think the bag holds ALL the cables and the charger itself. If you have a charging point at home, you would probably leave the bag at home provided you could leave the required charging set-up at work.

 

[h5djr]

Looks the same as my 184 TDI quattro. Floor in the high position but everything else the same.

 

[jetron]

What Car? Reviews Editor, Vicky Parrott, explains why the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron has been named What Car? Best Electric Car 2015.

 

[pjuk]

Jetron - you must be pretty excited about delivery of the car in the next week or so? I should have a estimated build date any day soon

 

[jetron]

I still haven't had an explanation as to why my car was delivered so early but I'm not unhappy about it. It will still be a 2015 registered car and I didn't want to wait three months just to get a '15' plate as I plan to keep it some time.

I have should pick up my winter wheels early next week and give them some protection before putting them on. I'll get the car down to the detailers for a full Gtechniq protection and then back to the dealership for official handover. It will be interesting to see their reaction to the finished product.

It is always a long wait, the last week or two being the longest. I would chase them for a build date and keep on top of any changes by getting regular updates from your dealer.

 

[pjuk]

Where are you getting the protection applied? And could I ask how much? Dealership was asking around £500 for inside/out.

 

[jetron]

Where are you getting the protection applied? And could I ask how much? Dealership was asking around £500 for inside/out.

John at Clean & Shiny quoted me £685 (inc. VAT) for full Gtechniq protection over 2 days. The process includes both C1 and Exo V2 being applied to the vehicle, protecting the front and rears of the wheels as well as covering the glass and interior Leather and Fabrics.

 

[coddy85]

**Little Warning - long and potentially boring review + pictures**

Hi Guys,

So if you're following this thread you'll know I had the e-tron over the weekend. I'm going to sum up my thoughts as best I can.

Starting with the bad news:

- Range
The e-tron is rated at an average of 31 miles for EV alone, I wasn't able to test this to the fullest extent (as it wasn't fully charged, and I wasn't able to) but I'm told that at best you can expect 25 miles. This is weather dependant and obviously driving style, also A/C, Radio, Sat Nav, Lights, Heated Seats etc all count. I was a little disappointed by this, especially as my commute is bang on 30 miles, I was hoping for a free ride every day!
- Economy in "Auto"
I played with all the modes and found that in auto mode, on the minor A and B roads, I wasn't able to extract more than 60mpg. I'm sure this is better if I was a) on a more familiar road and could anticipate it and b) had more charge in the batteries to start.
- Braking
You sure feel the weight when throwing the anchor out the window, especially when I drove in my A3 saloon and jumped straight into the e-tron. I'm pretty sure I needed another 10 metres or so to slow from 40-50mph.

That's pretty much all I had for the down sides. So onto the things I loved:

- Speed/Power in EV mode
Surprisingly, it feels like you're driving a modest hatchback. Comparable to my better half's Ford C-max. It gets better in Auto mode as the ICE will cut in to give you a blast off the line.
- Space/Comfort
It felt no different to any A3 I've driven before, which is kind of the point of this car. Boot space is no worse than a S3 and no space in the cabin is compromised. Car handling is a little worse and laboured but then I'm not buying this car for its sportiness! The standard addition of Tech Pack and LED lights is pretty awesome too. My spec also had leather/alcantara heated seats and the Interior Light Pack (no mono.pur however).
- DIS
The Driver's Information Display is enhanced by having a graphic of the car and how it is using/collecting energy. This made me smile a lot and led me to even shout "I'm creating power!" like some sort of divine being. It was pleasing to see the electric miles rise occasionally!
- Noise
Simply put, the lack of it. In EV mode it's silent until the road noise is heard at 45mph+. There is an initial hum like a tube train when you move from a standstill, but that's nice to know it's actually working!

All in all, I loved it. It's a great step into what felt like the future. It is also leaps and bounds ahead of a couple of other EV's I have driven (Prius and Nissan Leaf). Also if you are not fussed about the basic spec and have somewhere to charge it, I don't see the reason to buy the equivalent TDi, bar 100 litres of boot space. I was asked if it was better than my Saloon, I can't say it was a step upwards, but it is definitely an exciting step sidewards. My enquiries are ongoing to see what PCP deal I can achieve.

Now to some selected images I took with the iPhone, I tried to concentrate on the things that were different from the standard A3/S3. Also a picture of the boot with the cable bag inside and with my daughters pram (the boot closed too!)

 

[pjuk]

Nice review Coddy and impressed you managed to get the car for an extended drive.

I'd be interested in what PCP deal you can wrangle too. They did offer the standard 7.4% to me and by my calculations with a 40-50% deposit with the remainder put aside in modest investments I could basically take the PCP that would balance the interest i.e. effectively a 0% PCP deal. Might consider it just in case the car is worth more after 3 years based upon the final balloon payment.

 

[jetron]

Great review Coddy, it concurs with my findings. Yes, the EV range can be significantly impacted by the climate control functionality as this is driven off the high voltage system. I'm not sure whether or not the heated seats are supplied from the 12V or high voltage supply (I didn't order them as I will heat the car when plugged in) but would imagine that the low power radio/sat nav, lights etc. are 12V fed. Like you, I didn't have a full charge on my second test drive. The gauge read 22 miles range and I managed 17-18 miles on a cold December morning with climate control on for an hour or two, so I would imagine that you should realistically achieve about 25 miles when the battery is new.

I also found that the braking wasn't quite up to other A3s that I have driven, but I shall be riding on winters while the weather remains cold and wet, that should help make up for some of the difference.

Looks like Maidstone Audi looked after you then

 

[jetron]

Dropped into Camberley Audi today to pick up my winter wheels and there lurking in the a corner of one of the preparation bays was my e-tron. Even though I requested limited preparation, she still looked good in the sunlight. Scuba blue was definitely a good choice IMHO.



My sales executive was explaining that he was going to have a few unhappy e-tron customers because Camberley Audi have already used up their allocation slots for e-trons and new customers are unlikely to even get a build week until April!

Once he had mentioned it, I recall a warning from Audi UK back in July when I had my original test drive, that dealerships in the UK would be limited to approximately 500 e-trons in the initial allocation. Given that there are 34+ e-tron centres across the UK, that potentially could limit each centre to around 15 e-trons and given that Camberley Audi services the e-tron demand from it's sister dealerships in Guildford and Basingstoke, that isn't many e-trons.

I believe the matter is being escalated as it hasn't even been officially launched yet.

So anyone who may be looking at an e-tron, check with your dealership as to whether they have any allocation left or otherwise be prepared for a long wait

 

[pjuk]

Awesome I too remember one of the sales team saying that there was also an initial allocation but didn't think about doing the numbers. I was told not to expect my order until April/May so maybe the allocation at my dealership had already been filled That said the sales guy had no idea on an official build date. I'll chase this up at the end of the week.

 

[condor_a3]

Hi All,
I had one of these for just over 24hrs last week. I picked it up with a full charge... which according to the DIS is worth 21 miles!! it was raining and dull so with the heater on (not a/c) lights and wipers and radio, the battery was flat and the petrol cut in after....... 15 miles! carried on the journey being very impressed with the vehicle overal very smooth transition between elec and petrol and nicely specced.... set the timer to charge over night. set off the next morning for work, early so it was still dark but not raining. just radio, lights and heater on low. manged......... 16.4 miles! before the battery was flat and the petrol cut in......the whole time I was driving like miss daisy!! so unless your driving everywhere with nothing switched on, I doubt very much you'll ever get any where near 31miles from a charge. even the DIS after a full charge only states 21 miles! I done 148 miles whilst I had it and that averaged 57.4mpg I could have improved that if I had managed to get the charge station at work to work.... but I don't think by much..... it's a very good/clever car.. but not for me....

 

[jetron]

Awesome I too remember one of the sales team saying that there was also an initial allocation but didn't think about doing the numbers. I was told not to expect my order until April/May so maybe the allocation at my dealership had already been filled That said the sales guy had no idea on an official build date. I'll chase this up at the end of the week.

@pjuk, I'm sure they will have to ramp up production like they did in November. The following statements are from:http://insideevs.com/audi-a3-e-tron-production-now-50-units-per-day/

“We started series production of the Audi A3 Sportback e‑tron in the summer. Most of the assembly work is integrated into the A3 line; no separate manufacturing is necessary. That demonstrates the flexibility and efficiency of our production planners and employees.”

“We first of all ramped up production of the A3 Sportback e‑tron to about 30 cars a day in September. Our peak is approximately 50 units each day now. In any case, we are keeping additional capacity available.”

I wish you luck.....

 

[jetron]

Hi All,
I had one of these for just over 24hrs last week. I picked it up with a full charge... which according to the DIS is worth 21 miles!! it was raining and dull so with the heater on (not a/c) lights and wipers and radio, the battery was flat and the petrol cut in after....... 15 miles! carried on the journey being very impressed with the vehicle overal very smooth transition between elec and petrol and nicely specced.... set the timer to charge over night. set off the next morning for work, early so it was still dark but not raining. just radio, lights and heater on low. manged......... 16.4 miles! before the battery was flat and the petrol cut in......the whole time I was driving like miss daisy!! so unless your driving everywhere with nothing switched on, I doubt very much you'll ever get any where near 31miles from a charge. even the DIS after a full charge only states 21 miles! I done 148 miles whilst I had it and that averaged 57.4mpg I could have improved that if I had managed to get the charge station at work to work.... but I don't think by much..... it's a very good/clever car.. but not for me....

Sounds like a battery issue. I guess the initial charge on the battery may play a significant part in determining the eventual capacity/degradation characteristics. I know from past experience with consumer electronics that the initial charge of Li ion battery packs can impact the eventual capacity/lifespan.

I'll give you some readings in a week or so and see how mine stacks up.

 

[mckjerral]

I've finally had confirmation of my selected options, a bit of a wait considering my deposit was taken in the first week of December!
Because I've chosen the Driver Assistance Pack they have told me to expect a delay and said that I should find out my build week sometime in Feb.

I was told that each dealership had an allocation of 25 cars by mine (Preston)

 

[jetron]

@mckjerral Good to hear that you have had confirmation. From your estimated build week and allocation numbers, it looks like Audi Preston still have a few slots left. I must admit that I wasn't tempted by the Driver Assistance Pack but it looks like a good way to bundle some more functionality. All in all, I think you are lucky to have such an early BW.

As you will know, the regular wheels are the 17” x 7.5J ‘15-spoke’ turbine design e-tron alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres. They look good in the pictures, but what the pictures don't show is that they are diamond cut under a thick layer of iridescent clear-coat. I only noticed this when I was packing them away for the winter!

 

[mckjerral]

Unfortunately my BW isn't in Feb, I'll only find it out in Feb because of the unknown of the Assisstance Pack, so will be surprised if it's before April.

 

[pjuk]

@jetron - Enough about the wheels...how is the car?

@mckjerral - did they say why the drivers assistance pack was causing a delay? I ordered at the end of December so probably won't get a build week until end of Feb

 

[mckjerral]

@mckjerral - did they say why the drivers assistance pack was causing a delay? I ordered at the end of December so probably won't get a build week until end of Feb

No explanation, this is all I got.

The Sales Office have told us there is a slight delay on cars ordered with the Driver Assistance Package. We will be given a build date for these in February.

 

[jetron]

@jetron - Enough about the wheels...how is the car?

@mckjerral - did they say why the drivers assistance pack was causing a delay? I ordered at the end of December so probably won't get a build week until end of Feb

I've covered about 100 miles in the last couple of days, mostly smaller A roads and I've been getting about 22 miles out of a full charge with the climate control working full time in this cold weather. I tried to set the heating to come on this morning an hour before I wanted to depart only to find the car cold as ice. I later discovered that the clock was set to BST, hence the timer never kicked in.

On petrol, I'm averaging between 58-64 mpg but I'm still trying to understand all the functions that impact these figures in order to give accurate information to you all.

Charging has been easy. I have charged using my 32A home rapid charger. This takes just over two hours to charge the battery fully. I have also used the Audi supplied charging system which plugs into a standard 13A socket. This appears to charge at a 10A rate with the option to switch to a 5A rate. The 5A rate is useful in order to utilise the limited solar PV power generated at the moment as well as for users in countries who have capped power draw limits. Needless to say, the Audi supplied charging system comes with full timer control both by MMI and smartphone.

As usual this time of year, I regularly give my cars' 12v batteries a charge every month or so. I noticed that the e-tron's 12v was somewhat discharged (sitting in the dealers yard for a month) so this was soon rectified with a 14.7v charge. Unlike other A3s, the battery in in the back of the car next to the petrol tank. This is probably one reason why the petrol tank is pressurised and you have to wait after pressing the release button before the flap opens. The charging terminals are however in the front, negative on the bulkhead and positive inside the fuse box.

 

[pjuk]

22mi is not bad given these winter temps. I presume the 60mpg is in hybrid mode and not just petrol? Also any idea if this takes into account the 22mi you did in EV mode?

Any chance you could do a charge test from a 13A socket? I'll probably have to resort to that for a while whilst the council get their butts into gear.

 

[wideboybloke]

Jetron - I saw your e-tron at the detailers last week. I had just discovered the place on the internet and popped over to get some materials. I walked into what was basically a garage and began to ask the guy for the products I wanted and noticed an A3 sportback just inside the door. Then I noticed the distinctive radiator grille and asked if it was an e-tron, which the guy confirmed it was. I knew it was the official launch the following day and he told me that they were detailing the car for Camberley Audi. I naturally assumed from that that it was to be tbeir demonstrator, but he said it was for a customer - ie your goodself sir! He explained all about the G technic product, which sounds amazing and well worth the outlay when compared to the cost of the usual Auto Glym resin polish. While there I had a look at the interior of your car (but I promise I didn't touch it!). It looked much the same as my A3, apart from the e-tron spec and the options you have chosen. I shall be very interested to hear how you get on with it over the long term.

I bought my A3 from Camberley Audi. My salesman was Simon Gale, who did you deal with? And where are you based, by the way? I'm in Fleet.

 

[ToniqR]

I'm impressed, 22miles sounds good for these low temperatures and a brand new battery. So I'd imagine you'd get above 25 miles in time.

60mpg is a good start, whilst you're still adapting to it, keep us updated on your figures!

Just out of interest, how much were you quoted for the winter tyres?

 

[jetron]

Jetron - I saw your e-tron at the detailers last week. I had just discovered the place on the internet and popped over to get some materials. I walked into what was basically a garage and began to ask the guy for the products I wanted and noticed an A3 sportback just inside the door. Then I noticed the distinctive radiator grille and asked if it was an e-tron, which the guy confirmed it was. I knew it was the official launch the following day and he told me that they were detailing the car for Camberley Audi. I naturally assumed from that that it was to be tbeir demonstrator, but he said it was for a customer - ie your goodself sir! He explained all about the G technic product, which sounds amazing and well worth the outlay when compared to the cost of the usual Auto Glym resin polish. While there I had a look at the interior of your car (but I promise I didn't touch it!). It looked much the same as my A3, apart from the e-tron spec and the options you have chosen. I shall be very interested to hear how you get on with it over the long term.

I bought my A3 from Camberley Audi. My salesman was Simon Gale, who did you deal with? And where are you based, by the way? I'm in Fleet.

@wideboybloke, Yes, I left it with John at Clean & Shiny for a couple of days of Gtechniq treatment and he did a great job. As you say, the official launch was on the 17th and I wasn't allowed to drive it before that.

This is my second Audi from Camberley, this time I dealt with Richard Melis who was excellent in sorting everything out on their new systems and communication in general. I would definitely use them again as I'm just up the road between Bracknell and Ascot.

 

[jetron]

22mi is not bad given these winter temps. I presume the 60mpg is in hybrid mode and not just petrol? Also any idea if this takes into account the 22mi you did in EV mode?

Any chance you could do a charge test from a 13A socket? I'll probably have to resort to that for a while whilst the council get their butts into gear.

@pjuk, 60mpg was indeed in hybrid mode. I'm still not sure how all the performance figures get recorded in the various meters so it will take some time before I can give a clear explanation. I'm still trying to understand the performance figures in the smartphone app and will see if these correlate with the in car display readings. I'm having a small issue with smartphone communication, probably caused by Connect login and the car being in a garage and unable to see the GPS satellites. All will become clear in the end.

I will undertake a charge test from the 13A socket today using 100% (10A) charge rate and see how it performs and advise.

 

[jetron]

I'm impressed, 22miles sounds good for these low temperatures and a brand new battery. So I'd imagine you'd get above 25 miles in time.

60mpg is a good start, whilst you're still adapting to it, keep us updated on your figures!

Just out of interest, how much were you quoted for the winter tyres?

@ToniqR, Camberley Audi charged me £1342.60 for the complete winter wheels 205/50 R17 in 5-spoke Helica design, complete with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D AO tyres. They also threw in the wheel bolt covers and tool as well as wheel bags.

 

[wideboybloke]

Wow! Beautiful car. It didn't look as smart as that when I saw it as it was still to be detailed. It did have the winter wheels on the rears though, which left me a bit uncertain as to which were the standard e-tron spec. I now know that the turbines are the standard issue.

 

[jetron]

Wow! Beautiful car. It didn't look as smart as that when I saw it as it was still to be detailed. It did have the winter wheels on the rears though, which left me a bit uncertain as to which were the standard e-tron spec. I now know that the turbines are the standard issue.

Yes, the 17" turbines are standard. She looks a bit high in the photo because she had just come off the jacks and hadn't settled back to standard height yet.