Audi’s new lead-in e-tron 55 quattro has gone on sale priced from £56,400 OTR (including OLEV grant); part of the carmaker’s move to make electric mobility more accessible.

Audi e-tron 50 quattro S line

The new entry-level e-tron – announced last year – joins the line-up alongside the continuing e-tron 55 quattro and features a smaller battery pack that brings a WLTP range of up to 190 miles, compared to the 241 miles offered by its bigger brother.

Director of Audi UK Andrew Doyle said: “This new version of the e-tron opens up the possibility of driving ultra-economically and with zero local emissions to a wider customer base. Our research has shown that on a daily basis many prospective buyers will cover significantly less than the 190-mile maximum achievable in the e-tron 50 on a full charge, so for them this more accessible yet no less accomplished variant makes perfect sense.”

Maximum charging rate has also been cut to 120kW, from 150kW, but an 80% capacity charge can be achieved in around 30 minutes at fast-charge stations while it can also be charged at home using AC charging – a 7kW home wall box charger is currently available at no extra cost to all e-tron and e-tron Sportback customers and gives a full charge in around 10.5 hours.

The latest e-tron uses a twin motor ‘e-quattro’ all-wheel drive set-up that sees just the rear electric motor active in most driving situations, with the front electric motor activated predictively when needed. 0-62mph time is seven seconds and it has a top speed of 118mph.

It’s offered in Technik (£56,400 incl PiCG), Sport (£59,100 incl PiCG), and S line (£63,200 incl PiCG) specification levels – which will roll out across the wider e-tron range – as well as the top-end Launch Edition (£69,00 incl PiCG).

Entry-level Technik models feature 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps and contrast finish bumpers, along with heated and electrically adjustable front seats upholstered in Twin leather, MMI Navigation Plus and the Audi Smartphone and Audi Music interfaces.

E-tron drivers can also sign up for the new Charging Service, which offers subscribers a choice of two fixed-price charging tariffs via hundreds of charging points operated by 18 providers in the UK and while roaming at no extra cost overseas. The Transit tariff, which would normally cost £16.95 per month and grants subscribers free access to the high-powered Ionity network (but doesn’t include actual charge fees), is offered free of charge to new e-tron customers for the first 12 months.