Topic: Blueprint's 2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Nice! 

[Blueprint]

More experiments today. I had to drive to a West Island meeting this morning, so inevitable ICE times ahead (no plug at the meeting location). Starting home with a full charge, 36 km indicated, I made good use of the "Glide" mode to use as little power as possible to get to the highway. Once there, I stuck with the speed limit (yeah, that sucks, I know). I got to the office with 16 km left after a 26 km commute, so I did better than "1 per 1" 

Next up, the meeting. The car was plugged on 120 V for 50 mins, range climbing to 21 km. Mmmm, meeting is 19 km away, detours and traffic, this might work. And it did. No way to move gently in downtown detour surrounded by pre-enraged drivers, but I stayed zen on the highway and made it to the meeting on electrons only. Total EV drive: 45 km thanks to the 120 V quickie.

Range was at zero when I started the drive back to the office, so I popped the gearshift in "S" and "collected" 14 km by the time I reached the office, while getting 8.3 l/100 km. Tank still at 7/8ths. I'm lovin' it 

[G.Bombay]

More experiments today. I had to drive to a West Island meeting this morning, so inevitable ICE times ahead (no plug at the meeting location). Starting home with a full charge, 36 km indicated, I made good use of the "Glide" mode to use as little power as possible to get to the highway. Once there, I stuck with the speed limit (yeah, that sucks, I know). I got to the office with 16 km left after a 26 km commute, so I did better than "1 per 1" 

Next up, the meeting. The car was plugged on 120 V for 50 mins, range climbing to 21 km. Mmmm, meeting is 19 km away, detours and traffic, this might work. And it did. No way to move gently in downtown detour surrounded by pre-enraged drivers, but I stayed zen on the highway and made it to the meeting on electrons only. Total EV drive: 45 km thanks to the 120 V quickie.

Range was at zero when I started the drive back to the office, so I popped the gearshift in "S" and "collected" 14 km by the time I reached the office, while getting 8.3 l/100 km. Tank still at 7/8ths. I'm lovin' it 

Thanks for the update, this car seems better suited for your driving style and distances compared to the TDI.
Do you know if Audi is bringing any more to Canada than they did for 2017?

[Blueprint]

More experiments today. I had to drive to a West Island meeting this morning, so inevitable ICE times ahead (no plug at the meeting location). Starting home with a full charge, 36 km indicated, I made good use of the "Glide" mode to use as little power as possible to get to the highway. Once there, I stuck with the speed limit (yeah, that sucks, I know). I got to the office with 16 km left after a 26 km commute, so I did better than "1 per 1" 

Next up, the meeting. The car was plugged on 120 V for 50 mins, range climbing to 21 km. Mmmm, meeting is 19 km away, detours and traffic, this might work. And it did. No way to move gently in downtown detour surrounded by pre-enraged drivers, but I stayed zen on the highway and made it to the meeting on electrons only. Total EV drive: 45 km thanks to the 120 V quickie.

Range was at zero when I started the drive back to the office, so I popped the gearshift in "S" and "collected" 14 km by the time I reached the office, while getting 8.3 l/100 km. Tank still at 7/8ths. I'm lovin' it 

Thanks for the update, this car seems better suited for your driving style and distances compared to the TDI.
Do you know if Audi is bringing any more to Canada than they did for 2017?

Thanks to my "hobby", I knew that a PHEV would fit my needs pretty well, but the e-tron is exceeding my expectations so far. Yesterday I had in fact another meeting in the afternoon, East end this time, and I grabbed enough juice on 120V in the middle of the day to make it there on battery alone (got there at zero range, no ICE). The return home would be on gas, but this time I left it in "D" to compare results. The 15 km trip resulted in an indicated 3.6 l/100 km, with the ICE shutting down more often than in Sport, and I put 5 km back in the battery. Gas tank now down to 3/4, so I may have to fuel up in October.

Regarding supply, it would be interesting to follow-up with Audi in light of Quebec's ZEV law that's just around the corner. So far this year I saw only two other ones on the road, and the dad of a daughter's friend bought one after I placed it on his radar for his own TDI remedy.

[quadzilla]

@ Blueprint -- I'm enjoying all these updates, keep them coming.

Have you calculated your total mileage vs L burned so far?

I really think this (or anything really similar) might be our next car. I find we now do either a short 10 km drive locally or 100+ km on the hwy, nothing in between. Drives me crazy burning gas for those short 10 km drive though.

I saw a review on the Golf version of this car (not the e-golf) and I'm sure they said it gets a 50 km battery range. I'll try to find the video again but any idea if Audi will put that into the A3 going forward. 

[quadzilla]

Found the video. It was the Golf GTE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9LZNQBfm9U

Would be great if VW also brought this over.

[valuator]

I parked beside an e-tron this morning, first time I had seen once in person.  Very sharp! This would be on my radar in a few years if it was one size larger (to accommodate kids and their crap)..... 

[SKYMTL]

Found the video. It was the Golf GTE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9LZNQBfm9U

Would be great if VW also brought this over.

Isn't the GTE due here next year?

[quadzilla]

Found the video. It was the Golf GTE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9LZNQBfm9U

Would be great if VW also brought this over.

Isn't the GTE due here next year?

Don't toy with my emotions!

[Blueprint]

It seems I have the best seats in the house:

http://canada.autonews.com/article/20170824/CANADA01/308249954/best-seat-in-the-house-the-magna-made-audi-a3?cciid=email-autonews-weekly

Article comes with a nice pic of the brown option.

[Blueprint]

@ Blueprint -- I'm enjoying all these updates, keep them coming.

Have you calculated your total mileage vs L burned so far?

I really think this (or anything really similar) might be our next car. I find we now do either a short 10 km drive locally or 100+ km on the hwy, nothing in between. Drives me crazy burning gas for those short 10 km drive though.

I saw a review on the Golf version of this car (not the e-golf) and I'm sure they said it gets a 50 km battery range. I'll try to find the video again but any idea if Audi will put that into the A3 going forward.

I'll know for sure when I fill up. I'm on the way to 1,700 km and the tank is only down to 3/4. Except for the 2 litres I put in for the review, it's the delivery gas 

In the optimistic Euro cycle, the e-tron is also rated at 50 km of EV range. YMMV.

[dirtyjeffer]

Article comes with a nice pic of the brown option.

love it...it's like a nice baseball glove. 

[rrocket]

It seems I have the best seats in the house:

Remember the brown baseball glove stitch leather in the TT?

I loved that!

[Scaerio]

Zipping around trucks and tackling ramps without worrying about range was terrific - this thing really scoots, and handling is impressive!

Yup - when I test drove one, it felt very much like the C30.  While the CT200h is impressively constructed, has a much lower starting price, and has "exceptional" reliability according to CR, it feels deathly slow going up highway ramps, and I would never want to be in a situation where quick acceleration would be required to evade trouble.  Handling, however, wasn't bad as the car is firmly planted to the road.

[johngenx]

I still think hybrids are easily the answer to getting us to full EV seamlessly.  It gives makers incentives to research battery tech and improve EV performance while selling cars to the masses.

[Blueprint]

Unlike Firm, I don't have a "beater" to leave with a manufacturer when I borrow a press car (and I'd hardly call his great looking T/A a "beater"). So the e-tron got its first drop-and-park last week. The fleet manager kept it indoors and even charged it for me 

It was put out front for me to pick it up on Tuesday morning, and next to it were a few interesting options from their press fleet...

[carcrazed]

That's a nice collection. Your A3 wins for practicality!

[quadzilla]

It was put out front for me to pick it up on Tuesday morning, and next to it were a few interesting options from their press fleet...

Your A3 almost looks like a Q5 beside all those other cars.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

It seems I have the best seats in the house:

Remember the brown baseball glove stitch leather in the TT?

I loved that!

Me too! And I don't normally care for leather.

[OliverD]

Actually saw a grey e-tron in Montreal yesterday. Good looking car. Too bad we don't get the normal A3/S3/RS3 hatch.