Masdar City to kickstart pathbreaking test of new Audi electric car

By a Staff Reporter

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has helped launch the latest ground-breaking electric vehicle from premium car-maker Audi onto the global stage, with a special road testing event which is being held across the emirate throughout December.

In collaboration with its partners from Masdar City, the emirate’s groundbreaking sustainable urban development, the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau was involved in organising  a test-drive event to put the new Audi e-tron through its paces, with the revolutionary all-electric SUV having its first outing on public roads.

The Audi e-tron, the premier German carmaker’s first all-electric production vehicle, was launched in September. The cars are now based at Masdar City, where approximately 460 media representatives have been invited from across the globe  to come and test the vehicle across the emirate’s varied terrain.

The media test drivers will get to take the new vehicle on off-road gravel and sand tracks before heading to Al Ain, where they will take the e-tron up the hairpin bends of Jebel Hafeet, the second highest mountain in the UAE.

Ten charging stations have already been installed at Masdar, which can charge up to 20 cars at a time. A workshop and car wash area also being installed at the sustainable city’s park for the duration of the test-drive event.

“DCT Abu Dhabi, along with its partners, is dedicated to sustainability, which is a key component of our emirate-wide strategy,” said Mubarak H. Al Shamisi, Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau Director. “As we strive towards sustainability ‘excellence’, bringing Audi’s e-tron to our emirate for its first media test drives fulfils the mandate of one of our ‘sustainability pillars’, that of protecting the environment. We hope the international media representatives not only enjoy the driving experience of this revolutionary new SUV, but also enjoy the wider experience of our  emirate at the same time.”

The Audi e-tron is a zero-emission vehicle with two electric motors that can accelerate the SUV from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in 5.7 seconds. It has a large 95-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery that requires only 30 minutes of fast-charging to provide up to 80 per cent charge. The Audi e-tron covers more than 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) on a single charge in the WLTP test cycle. It is produced at a carbon dioxide-neutral production facility in Belgium.

Based on the three pillars of social, economic and environmental sustainability, Masdar City is the ‘greenprint’ for cities of the future. Located next to Abu Dhabi International Airport, it consists of a rapidly growing residential area and a clean-tech cluster business free zone, and the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

“In Masdar City, the future of mobility meets life in the cities of the future – emission-free, ecological and sustainable. This is the perfect starting point for the Audi e-tron driving event,” says Peter Oberndorfer, Head of AUDI Product and Technology Communications.”