A joint venture between Chinese carmaker SAIC and German car brand Audi, the all-electric AUDI (all caps) brand has been turning heads in the Chinese market with solid all-weather performance, reasonable prices and plenty of chunky Teutonic style. Now, AUDI cars are turning up in Europe — and Audi is pissed.
Audi embraced its future in China with a new electric sub-brand called AUDI. Co-developed with local automaker SAIC, AUDI ditched the iconic “four rings” logo in favor of four capital letters. What it didn’t ditch was Audi’s traditionally Teutonic long-roof design language or its reputation for building gorgeous cars.
Despite Audi’s intention to keep AUDI cars in China, however, European buyers apparently had other plans – and Audi is suing the importers who made it possible.
The party’s over
German importer Auto China has reportedly been more than happy to help AUDI enthusiasts get cars like the 670 hp all-electric AUDI E7X SUV (shown above) into the European Union. But according to Automobilwoche (the German division of Automotive News), Audi isn’t happy about the arrangement, and is taking legal action to block the importer from buying and selling any more Chinese AUDIs.
“Audi has initiated legal proceedings against the importer,” writes Automobilwoche‘s Luca Schönauer (translated from German), “and (Audi) will consistently enforce its rights.”
You can check out some of the new AUDI E7X’s specs, below, which Google Translate insists indicate that electric SUV will be offered with a choice of two “ternary” lithium batteries, in 100 kWh 109.3 kWh capacities, and in four configurations with up to 751 km (~465 miles) of range on the highest mileage, 300 kW 2WD variant with a biggee battery. A 500 kW (~670 hp) AWD “Quattro” version is also offered. In China, anyway.
Take a look, then let us know if you feel tempted enough to try to import a new AUDI for yourself in the comments.
AUDI E7X production specs
SOURCE: Automobilwoche, via CarBuzz.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
