Audi of America is offering qualified customers who purchase or lease a 2021 e-tron or e-tron Sportback a subscription to Arcadia at no additional charge for up to five years. Arcadia connects renters and homeowners across the U.S. to wind and solar energy through utility data and billing technology.
Participating Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback customers may also be eligible to receive up to a $750 credit toward their electricity bill through the Arcadia platform with a subscription. The program runs from March 2 to April 30, 2021, while supplies last.
Arcadia’s technology matches home energy consumption with renewable energy sources from a variety of U.S. wind and solar projects using renewable energy certificates, all without any installation or disruptions to their utility service. The EPA provides further information on how renewable energy certificates are used to account for renewable electrcity generation and use at https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/renewable-energy-certificates-recs.
In select markets within Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, Arcadia’s platform connects qualifying customers to community solar projects in their area. These customers are allocated a portion of the energy output from their community solar projects and earn credits on their power bills as the projects generate power and add renewable energy to their local grid.
This program complements the benefits of driving an electric vehicle, with the U.S. Department of Energy reporting that electric vehicle owners do 80% of their vehicle charging at home.
Audi has previously collaborated with Arcadia in 2018 and 2020 to provide e-tron customers the opportunity to address a portion of their environmental impact as they transition to renewable energy. Based on customer polling data, 85% of e-tron customers and 90% of e-tron Sportback customers state that environmental impact is either “important” or “very important” toward purchase considerations, aligning with past and present initiatives Audi has introduced for e-tron customers.
The Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback are assembled in Brussels, Belgium, in a plant certified as carbon-neutral, according to Belgian testing company Vinçotte, with suppliers also using sustainable production processes when and where possible. Audi was among the first automotive manufacturers to publicly support and align its actions with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The company has set itself the ambitious goal of reducing vehicle-specific CO2 emissions by 30% by 2025. Audi aims to achieve net CO2 neutrality globally across the lifecycle of its vehicles by 2050.
The Audi e-tron was the first all-electric model to join the Audi lineup in the U.S., providing customers everyday usability of a true midsize, premium SUV while also being 100% electric. It was joined last year by the e-tron Sportback, which blends the utility of an SUV with a coupe-like design. Both models come with standard dual-motor power, providing up to 402 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque in boost mode, allowing them 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds and a top track speed of 124 mph.
With among the quickest charging capability of any electric vehicle on sale today at 150 kW, both the e-tron and e-tron Sportback are capable of charging from 0-80% battery capacity in about 30 minutes using a public DC 150 kW fast charger. The 2021 e-tron and e-tron Sportback have EPA-estimated full-charge ranges of 222 and 218 miles, respectively.
SOURCE: Audi
