Audi to Unveil Electric Crossover at Frankfurt Show

Audi AG will use next month's Frankfurt auto show reveal a electric crossover concept car with an impressive 500-km range. The company confirmed plans for the car at the end of July.

Audi says the unnamed EV, which will join the brand's e-tron line of electrified vehicles, will go into production in 2018. The sporty four-seater will become a competitor to Tesla Motor Corp.'s Model X electric crossover due this autumn.

The new car will be Audi's first large all-electric model, sized between the company's conventionally powered Q5 and Q7 crossovers The company says aerodynamic elements fitted to the front, side and rear of the body make it more aerodynamic than any other SUV and contribute significantly to the car's driving range.

The car features a large lithium-ion battery beneath the floor and three electric motors one for the front axle and two for the rear to provide all-wheel drive.

Audi's only current all-electric production vehicle is the high-performance 2016 model R8 e-tron hybrid sports car. The low-production two-seater uses two electric motors that deliver 456 hp to the rear wheels. The car can sprint from zero to 100 kph in 3.9 seconds and has a range of 280 km per charge.

The company also is field-testing an all-electric A3 wagon powered by a single 115-hp motor that can carry five passengers for about 145 km per charge.