Audi Offering 22-kW Charging On 2021 E-Trons

As the world shifts over to electric vehicles, the features that will be updated and introduced with new model years won’t be the same that car shoppers are traditionally used to. Goodbye minor improvement in miles-per-gallon, hello improved kilowatt charging.

That’s the announcement from Audi this week regarding the new line-up of its E-tron models, at least in Europe. While the current models can charge at 11 kW when connected to a DC fast charger, the 2021 model year E-tron 55 and E-tron Sportback 55 can now be ordered with a second on-board charger that doubles the power to up to 22 kW at “appropriate charging terminals,” Audi said. Other E-tron models, the E-tron 50 and the E-tron S specifically, will get this option in the middle of 2021. The new 22-kW on-board charging system can be used at home or at public charging stations, depending on their power capability.

You don’t have to buy an Audi-branded charger to power your car at home, but if you do want the car and wall box to match, Audi has upgraded its charging system connect home charging system to be able to handle 22 kW of power. When correctly installed (and Audi will recommend an electrician, if needed), the new wall box can fill up one of the new E-trons from zero to full in less than five hours, Audi said.

Audi’s home charging system holds a few unusual benefits as well. It’s often said that electric vehicles are the only vehicles that can get more efficient over time. Sure, the latest Prius might get better gas mileage than the one from five years ago, but once you buy it, it’s not going to magically get more efficient. EVs, though, have that ability, and all you need to do is opt to buy some kind of renewable energy to replace the coal-powered juice and you’ve made the car better. That’s just what Audi offers with the new home charger. When paired with Audi’s app and a “compatible home energy management system,” E-tron drivers can tell their home chargers to only draw energy from the grid into the EV when other people don’t need to use more energy or when photovoltaic energy is available. The system can even look at weather predictions and plan to charge the car later when more sunshine is forecast.

Audi is upping the features for the 2021 E-Trons in other ways, too. There’s a new steering wheel available for the 2021 E-Trons that offers adaptive cruise assist and lane centering. New 22-inch wheels are also available.