Audi’s first electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) will hit showrooms four weeks after the planned date due to a software development issue, a representative for the German luxury car brand stated on Sunday.
The spokesman stated Audi’s e-tron midsize SUV has been delayed because the automaker needs new regulatory clearance for a piece of software that was changed while the development was going on.
Audi staged international launch of the e-tron in San Francisco earlier month as part of its effort to extend the market for premium electric vehicles and take a share from California-based Tesla, which has had the niche highly to itself.
The e-tron delays were first noted by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, mentioning sources close to the company. The newspaper stated delivery could be delayed by several months.
The paper also noted that Audi was locked in price negotiations with LG Chem, the South-Korean supplier of batteries for their electric vehicles, which wants to boost costs by about 10 percent due to high demand.
LG Chem provides electric vehicle batteries for Audi, its parent Volkswagen and Daimler.
An LG Chem official refused to comment on the report, mentioning the confidentiality of its relationship with a customer.
The Audi representative also refused to discuss cost negotiations with LG Chem.
