*By Amanda Weston*
Audi just entered the EV ring with the launch of e-tron, the company's first all-electric vehicle.
For Filip Brabec, the VP of product management of Audi of America, the car has the potential to attract pretty much anyone.
"This is a cool car, and we want to sell a cool car, and we believe that it really appeals to a broad audience of customers," he said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
Audi unveiled the [e-tron](https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-e-tron), complete with two electric motors, on Monday.
An optional "Driver Assistance Package" can detect driving conditions and adapt to dangerous situations like construction zones. It also automatically adjusts to the current speed limit and slows down at corners. A parking assist feature steers the car into parallel parking spaces.
Audi also announced the company is partnering with Amazon for its new release, in what will be the e-commerce giant's foray into the auto market.
Amazon Home Services will give drivers a fully-digital experience for in-home charging installations. The collaboration is designed to make setting up home charging easier and more interconnected.
Customers can now reserve an e-tron ahead of delivery in mid-2019. The SUV starts at $74,800. The most expensive model, the first edition, has a price tag of $86,700.
By comparison, Tesla's Model X has a starting price just below $80,000.
But Brabec said the e-tron comes with more bells and whistles.
"In reality, what you have there for $74,800 is essentially a fully-loaded car, and a car that really has all the features that are expected in this segment when it comes to leather seats, ventilated seats, sunroof, navigation system, you name it," Brabec said. "It's all in there."
Brabec said customers who end up choosing an Audi over other models are usually seeking peace of mind.
"This is why \[consumers are\] going to a company that has a very robust history and very robust engineering team," he said.
Audi has over 300 dealers that service the cars and ensure full, safe performance, he added.
Audi plans to release the e-tron by 2020. The company anticipates about 30 percent of its customers in the U.S. will go electric by 2025.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/audi-launches-first-all-electric-vehicle).
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Load More