Audi is teaming up with Samsung and LG to produce electric car batteries with a potential 300-mile range.
Samsung SDI and LG Chem will provide Audi with "powerful cell modules" to be used in an Audi SUV. "The new technology will give drivers of the Audi sport utility vehicle a range of more than 500 kilometers," or just over 300 miles, Audi said.
"This will allow us to supply a technological solution that makes electric cars even more attractive for our customers," Dr. Bernd Martens, Member of the Board of Management of Audi AG for Procurement, said in a statement.
"With our first battery-electric Audi-SUV, we are combining an emission-free drive system with driving pleasure," said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, also a board member. "We will optimally integrate the innovative cell modules developed with LG Chem and Samsung SDI into our vehicle architecture, thus achieving an attractive overall package of sportiness and range."
Few other details were revealed. As Wired noted, that 300-mile range is aspirational, not a given. The Europeans are also more generous with fuel economy ratings, so any Audi electric SUV that arrives stateside might not travel that far on a single charge.
In January, Chevy revealed its Bolt EV concept, a long-range, all-electric vehicle designed with a 200-plus-mile range and a starting price tag of $30,000.
Tesla promises between 240 and 270 miles for its Model S, depending on the model. Details about its Model X SUV are expected next month.