Audi NZ and Vector join forces
Audi New Zealand and Vector have joined together to develop a range of solutions for electric vehicle (EV) owners, covering both domestic and commercial facilities.
Vector, the country’s largest energy distribution company, has developed with Audi a consulting service designed around the needs of a new generation of EV owners and centred on the new Audi e-tron arriving mid-2019.
The Audi e-tron is the first fully electric vehicle from the brand with the four rings. The full-size SUV has two electric motors with a total output of 300kW and 664 Nm of torque and has a 0-100kph of 5.7 seconds.
It will cover over 400km on a single charge and is the first series production vehicle that can charge at fast charging stations with direct current at up to 150kW. It is also comfortable charging its 95kWh battery at home using normal 240 volt AC power in a “top up“ scenario, and during 2019 will be available with an induction charging pad for home or business use.
The consulting service will be available through your local Audi Dealership and covers all areas of customer interaction from charging equipment choices, home power capacity checks, and the installations of approved charging equipment, right through to the latest generation electrical storage devices and connected solar
power panels.
Consumers contemplating EV ownership typically have many questions and given most owners charge to some degree at home, the focus must be on a seamless domestic charging experience to complement the public “fast charging” experience.
“When we were looking for a premium national electrical partner, Vector was the clear choice,” said Dean Sheed, general manager of Audi New Zealand. “The solutions we now have for our customers are second to none and offer innovative storage and generation solutions."
Vector chief executive officer, Simon Mackenzie, says: “The convergence of the transport and energy sectors is at the heart of the new energy future, and new technologies and solutions involving electric vehicles will play a key part in customer use of and interaction with energy for the future.
“I believe the service Vector and Audi will provide will become a benchmark for our mutual industries, and will showcase our ability and knowledge in the electrification of transport.”
