Audi EV reportedly to be equipped with RS badge as early as 2021

Audi Sport's performance skunkworks will not hesitate to put the RS badge on Audi's EV lineup, Autocar reported Thursday.

Citing comments by Audi Sport manager Julius Seebach at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show last November, the British publication said some Audi EVs will rival their internal combustion counterparts by offering base, S and RS grades It reported.

The first to wear the RS badge is expected to be the E-Tron GT super sedan, previewed as a concept at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show and expected to go on sale at the 2020 Los Angeles Auto Show. The base and S grades will debut, with the RS grade expected in 2021.

Since the E-Tron GT is related to the Porsche Taikan, the RS version could theoretically have well over 600 hp. The concept version will feature a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with a 96-kilowatt-hour battery that will produce 590 hp and accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds.

According to Autocar, the recently unveiled E-Tron Sportback is another strong candidate for the RS treatment. This treatment typically involves power upgrades, circuit tuning of the suspension, and brake upgrades.

In addition to the electric car, Audi Sport plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid bearing the RS designation. At the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor Show last September, Audi Sport chief Oliver Hoffmann said that hybrid technology, particularly plug-in hybrid technology, will be included in future RS cars. The first of these could be new performance versions of the recently unveiled RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback.