Audi A3 E-tron Forum and Electric Vehicle News

I picked up my e-tron in May this year, I have just exceeded 20,000 miles, so I guess I'm not typical of the average user. My experiences so far:
1 - The car is a very capable high speed cross country vehicle, overtaking is swift and easy, loads of torque available if you use the manual settings of the gearbox, far too easy to kick-down when left in D which ruins the main benefit of the torque of the electric unit combining with the engine
2 - Super quick off the line - again use the paddle shifts!
3 - Drive swiftly, not fast, the weight of the batteries takes the shine off agility, but a smooth slow in, fast out approach results in serene fast progress
4 - fuel consumption is not brilliant, but better than the petrol only version. I have averaged 45.7 mpg for the 20k - That's' UK gallons which for some reason are bigger than US gallons! I have noted a significant decline in fuel efficiency since the weather got colder. I was shocked this morning to see an average of 29.3 after 40 miles of mixed motorway and cross country on Hybrid Auto from a start at just about -1 Degree C. During the day it improved but I ended up at less than 40..
5 - Still not been able to register with Audi Connect as it doesn't recognise the car chassis number. The dealer and Audi UK have been quite frankly pathetic in resolving this issue and I have just given up trying. I now miss the facility to have a warm car on a winters morning as a result
6 - Service experience at the Northampton 'e-tron experts' has been a memorable experience for all the wrong reasons - I can only hope the next service due very soon will improve
7 - The b&o sound system is brilliant, but why can't I store my CDs on the hard drive - so I have to copy them onto a memory card and import them separately - just make it easy for your customers Audi, it makes no difference to the record companies, it is my CD
8 - The navigation system routes are miles behind TomTom when it comes to the best and fastest ways to get to a destination. The traffic reports are also not as efficient and quick. I compared routes across London on Saturday evening against my Google Maps on my phone, which was much better at avoiding obvious blackspots - why did Audi want me to go through Piccadilly Circus at peak thatre traffic time??
9 - the lights are great, although the fog light function switches off above 40 mph or so - it gives great extra visibility on motorways without blinding oncoming traffic so that's a shame!
10 - now winter and slippery roads are here, the traction control light is very evident - I imagine in snow the car will be a real handful without proper tyres - memo to self...try and get some fitted
11 - I love driving around town in EV mode. Somehow it all adds up to a less stressful experience, I feel more inclined to let people in at junctions, and generally more chilled.
12 - The phone system still baffles me at times, it doesn't recognise about 50% of the directory entries on my Android that I can access when I use the phone by itself, connection drops out often and can only be re-engaged by switching the phone on and off. My second phone, an iPhone, doesn't have messages etc working, but I don't have the directory problems

Overall, a great car which I really enjoy driving, a few niggles but when max boost is on, the speed between 60 and 90 mph brings a smile to my face.

Good report.

Interesting about your CDs and the hard drive. I've only copied one CD onto the hard drive (juke box) but it worked fine. Maybe it's some arcane copy-protection on your CDs?

Shame about AudiConnect. I like/use it fairly often.

That's great to get a report from a high mileage user.

I've clocked up 16,000 miles in the year I've had mine, I echo your comments on the very useful BHP But I have still averaged 82mpg (UK) because most of my daily commute is on battery with only occasional long trips knocking the mpg down.

Pity you can't get Audi Connect working, call me a soft southerner but I do like to chill/warm my car up. I also had that on my previous Chevy Volt.

No problems with the local Basingstoke Audi service centre, only one service so far though. I'll report any problems as they arise.

I did not know/notice that the fog lights switch off at speed. Mine has "all weather" fog lights, maybe they are different?

I'm yet to drive on snow. The Volt was very good in snow apart from the low ground clearance.

Keep the reports coming, they will benefit the whole group even though we all use our e-trons differently.