Audi reveals new e-tron Sportback in bid to challenge Tesla SUV
Audi has unveiled a new electric vehicle, the e-tron Sportback concept at the Shanghai motor show to help it compete with electric SUV models from Tesla, Jaguar, Mercedes and other carmakers. The vehicle will have a range  of more than 300 miles on a full charge, and will have a top speed of 131mph. According to Autocar, the vehicle's 95 kWh battery will be capable of recharging to 80% within half an hour. Audi is a Volkswagen brand and this move is part of the company's strategy to focus on EVs in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal.
Audi is pushing ahead in the electric car space.

The automaker revealed its new e-tron Sportback concept at the annual Shanghai motor show, formally known as Auto Shanghai 2017, on Tuesday. The all-electric crossover will have the same powertrain as the e-tron quattro, which is another Audi all-electric SUV slated to hit the market in 2018.

The vehicle will be able to go from zero to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 131 mph, the company claims. The small SUV will have a range of more than 300 miles on a full charge, but that's likely to be closer to 280 miles based on EPA estimates.

To put that into perspective, Tesla's Model X 100D has a range of 295 miles on a full charge, according to EPA estimates.

The vehicle's 95kWh battery will also be able to recharge 80% in just 30 minutes, according to a report from Autocar.

Audi

Audi's new all-electric crossover is the second fully-electric vehicle the company has revealed. The company's first all-electric concept car for production was the e-tron quattro, which was shown off at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015.

Audi, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, has promised to invest big in electric vehicles in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal.

Audi's chief executive Rupert Stadler has said the company will have three all-electric vehicles in its lineup by 2020, and by 2025, it aims for 25% of the cars it sells to have batteries.

Like Audi's e-tron quattro, the e-tron Sportback concept features a number of high-tech features that could help it compete with Tesla's Model X and other upcoming electric SUVs.

Audi

The e-tron Sportback concept features cameras for sideview mirrors and the real-time stream of the car's surroundings are shown on displays in the doors.

Audi has also updated its virtual cockpit for the new vehicle, giving it a wider design in front of the driver. There are also two touchscreens in the center console and thin screen on the front passenger side.

The body of Audi's crossover resembles that of the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace, which is slated to go into production in 2018. The e-tron Sportback will be a direct competitor to the I-Pace and will also compete with other electric SUVs coming, including Mercedes' first electric SUV slated for 2019.

But the vehicle will also compete with the leader in the electric car space: Tesla.

Tesla currently only sells the Model S and the Model X, its luxury SUV. But the electric car maker plans to add its first mass-market car, the Model 3, to its line-up by the end of this year. Tesla is also planning to launch another smaller SUV, dubbed the Model Y, in the next few years. However, the company hasn't revealed when exactly when the smaller SUV will go into production.