Each day brings us closer to the 2022 Audi e-tron GT release. We hope the folks at Tesla are ready. With its bold, elegant styling and engineering ties to the Porsche Taycan, the forthcoming Audi EV will feature an 800-volt propulsion configuration the automaker claims will guarantee consistent performance. And with a full slate of technology, the interior is as stylish as the exterior. 

The Audi e-tron GT is so attractive that Architectural Digest, a magazine that generally covers interior design and landscaping, recently spoke with Audi’s head designer about the car.

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT at a glance

The Audi e-tron GT is the latest EV in the automaker’s lineup, and it is stunning. 

Audi’s head of design, Marc Lichte, told Architectural Digest the 2022 e-tron GT is the most visually appealing vehicle he’s designed. Specs and features aside, it’s gorgeous and undeniably an Audi. 

But as Car and Driver reminds us, it’s also part Porsche. Engineers developed this Audi alongside the Taycan. However, with an ornate front end and chiseled body, the e-tron GT is more nuanced than the Taycan. 

The new e-tron GT has two electric motors that harness as much as 637 hp, depending on the model. And the unique two-speed transmission allows for cutting-edge take-offs. Tying it all together is an EV version of Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive configuration. 

Its interior is equally appealing, using opulent materials and state-of-the-art technology. Observers expect the Audi e-tron GT, which starts around $100,000, to rival Tesla’s offerings.

Architectural Digest weighs in

Architectural Digest recently sat down with Lichte to discuss the brand’s ground-breaking EV. With Audi’s goal of expanding its EV line, the e-tron GT’s development looks like a leap in the right direction. 

Lichte found designing a car without a standard combustion engine system’s restrictions to be liberating. Of the more than 100 cars he and his team have worked on, he considers the e-tron GT the highlight. He explained the e-tron captures the components often seen in many concept cars.

“We like to sketch cars like this: big wheels, short front and rear overhangs, low cabin, long wheelbase,” Lichte told the magazine. “This is dream proportions, and this dream became a reality with this package.”

But the team still faced challenges in the new EV’s design. Lichte explained it’s a low car with an enormous battery pack nestled in the floor. One big hurdle was to find space for passengers in the back with the battery pack. Lichte said they worked in different layers, resulting in room for passengers and a car that sits two inches lower than the Audi A7.

What else we know

The German automaker says the 2022 Audi e-tron GT can travel 238 miles on a single charge from its 85.0-kWh lithium-ion battery. With more usable capacity than the 2021 Taycan 4S’s 83.7-kWh battery pack that’s EPA-rated at 227 miles, the non-RS e-tron GT’s battery will probably earn a comparable rating, Car and Driver predicts.

Audi also claims you can charge the e-tron GT from 5 to 80 percent of its battery’s capacity in 23 minutes using a standard 270-kW DC fast charger.

The e-tron GT will join the e-tron SUV and Sportback models when it goes on sale this summer. Next up for Audi’s EV lineup will be the Q4 e-tron SUV.