Audi e-tron edition one Details, Including Being Sold Out

Technically speaking, Audi of America began taking orders on its new e-tron crossover at the same time it launched the car at a large tech event held last week in San Francisco. Those orders and likely some hand raisers who’d already been hounding their Audi dealers, came in via a new reservation system. On top of that, Audi also revealed plans for a special launch spec of the e-tron dubbed edition one and limited in production to just 999 units.

All edition one e-tron models will be built to roughly the same spec. For starters, each is a Prestige equipment level, meaning standard top view camera system, Audi pre sense City, Audi side assist with pre sense rear, Matrix design LED headlamps, Audi Virtual Cockpit plus, MMI Touch Response with navigation, 9.6 kW AC home charger, Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, Audi phone box with wireless charging and signal booster, heated and ventilated seats, panoramic sunroof, integrated toll module, full paint exterior, head-up display, Driver Assistance package, Adaptive Cruise Assist, active lane assist, intersection assistant, Audi pre sense 360, traffic sign recognition, power soft-close doors, rear window sunshades, dual-pane acoustic side windows, Individual Contour seats with massage function, Valcona leather + extended leather interior and air quality package with ionizer.

Beyond that, specific equipment to the e-tron edition one includes Daytona Grey pearl effect paint, 21-inch bi-color Black wheels with all-season tires, aluminum-optic exterior trim, dynamic orange painted brake calipers, black Valcona leather with grey contrast stitching, Night Vision Assistant, Volcano Gray Ash Natural Wood inlays, LED puddle lamp “edition one” projection and cold weather package including enhanced preconditioning.

Some of this kit is unique to the edition one, so Daytona Grey paint probably won’t be offered in the standard selection of colors. Others, like Night Vision Assistant will be limited to this car for now, meaning it’s also unavailable for North American versions of e-tron.

Other kit available and also unavailable across the range shows the ever-changing landscape of the American market as pertaining to NHTSA standards. Elements like the phone box with signal booster are new to the USA. In another case, the Matrix Beam LED headlights aren’t yet approved for U.S. even though that approval is expected soon, so American cars will come with it pre-installed and simply not fully functional so that they can later be activated via a software upgrade. Finally, the exterior rearview cameras that were lauded at the launch aren’t yet approved for the U.S. market, so the e-tron edition one that was present at Audi’s launch event in San Francisco was fitted with a more traditional rearview mirror for now.

The price on the e-tron edition one is a reported $86,700. Unfortunately for those interested in buying one, the edition one had been removed from the reservation system within 24 hours of the car’s reveal in San Francisco. Cancellations and possibly reported “held back” examples may yet come available, but the takeaway here is that this is an exceedingly hot market just as has been experienced in other parts of the electric car business.

Given the ordering process more akin to say a new iPhone or Tesla Model 3, Audi is also changing the way it operates in its order taking in order to better serve the tech savvy clientele choosing to buy its new e-tron. Pre-orders are now possible via a new reservation system. Placing an order includes a fully refundable $1,000 reservation fee, and then the ability to track your order online and with your local dealer.

Below is a video of Audi of America product planners presenting the options and equipment packages for the e-tron in the American market. This includes a detailed description of the e-tron edition one. Watch it here, and see even more photos of the e-tron edition one in a gallery below that.