CHANGCHUN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker Audi on Friday launched A6L e-tron, a luxury pure electric sedan, for the Chinese market, as it steps up its electrification push in the world's largest auto market with booming sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs).
The model is produced by Audi FAW NEV Company in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin province. The company, built with an investment of over 30 billion yuan (about 4.4 billion U.S. dollars), is Audi's first production base in China dedicated exclusively to fully electric vehicles.
The Audi A6L e-tron is equipped with Huawei's Qiankun smart driving system. It boasts a CLTC range of up to 815 kilometers and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds.
The A6L e-tron is the second model produced at the plant following the Q6L e-tron. The joint venture between Audi and Chinese manufacturer FAW also launched the new Q6L e-tron version on the same day.
The launch underscores Audi's efforts to bolster its competitiveness in China's fast-growing electric vehicle segment, where domestic brands have intensified competition with advanced software and longer driving ranges.
Audi FAW is implementing the strategy to develop traditional fuel-powered, electric and hybrid vehicles in parallel, while also expanding intelligent driving capabilities.
Parent company Volkswagen Group was among the earliest foreign automakers to enter China. Audi started localization in China in 1988 in partnership with FAW.
Early this year, FAW Audi, which now produces models such as the A6L, Q5L, Q7 and Q6L e-tron, achieved a milestone of selling a cumulative 10 million vehicles in China.
