Audi’s head of design Mark Lichte told media outlets in December that the marque’s forthcoming 2020 E-Tron GT electric sedan will enter production almost unaltered from its concept form, and recently leaked Chinese patent filings appear to support his claim.
Discovered by a user of E-Tron Forum, the following photos allegedly come from the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)’s online patent database. They depict a vehicle that looks all but identical to the sheet metal concept car, which was as close to a production body as you can get.
Lichte stated that the E-Tron GT concept’s 22-inch wheels would shrink to 21 inches and that the car’s door handles would become something more conventional, but neither of these changes is apparent in this rendering. That means Audi has either made effectively no alterations to the concept for production or that Audi has patented the concept car’s design—not a common practice.
Dates for when Audi plans to officially reveal the car are the subject of debate; E-Tron Forum claims the car will launch in 2019, but other news outlets report late 2020. What’s certain is that when the car arrives it will share its PPE platform with the similar Porsche Taycan, and though they’ll share a chassis and drivetrain, the only common body component between the two will be their windshield.
As for the drivetrain itself, Audi has promised 590 horsepower applied to the ground via its signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system, good for a zero-to-60 time of somewhere in the mid-to-low three-second zone. Driving range is stated by Audi to be more than 250 miles WLTP, so expect slightly more conservative numbers when the EPA gets its hands on the car stateside. Fast-charging options, however, should be some of the best in its class, with Audi building its electric vehicles to accept up to 350-kilowatt DC fast-charging.
And if it’s half as good as the E-Tron crossover is, the E-Tron GT sedan’s buyers are in for a real treat.
