Electric VW Phaeton Delayed To 2020, May Use Audi e-Tron Quattro Powertrain

The Volkswagen Phaeton luxury sedan hasn't been sold in the U.S. in years, but if it does return, it will have an electric powertrain.

Volkswagen's Board of Management mentioned an electric Phaeton in an announcement on the company's near-term strategy last month.

The company did not discuss a production timeline, but now a new report claims the electric Phaeton will arrive by 2020.

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The Phaeton's electric powertrain will borrow heavily from the production version of the Audi e-tron quattro concept, according to Autocar.

Unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, the e-tron quattro will morph into a production electric SUV in 2018.

The production version will likely be a variant of the Q6, an upcoming "crossover-coupe" similar in concept to the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.

Sharing at least some powertrain components with the Phaeton is likely, as both models are expected to use versions of the same Volkswagen Group "MLB" architecture.

The e-tron quattro concept's powertrain consists of three electric motors: one for the front axle, and two for the rear axle, providing a total of 496 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.

Power comes from a 95-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack using cells from Korean makers LG Chem and Samsung SDI. Both companies will supply cells for the production version.

ALSO SEE: Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept: 2018 Q6 Electric Car Previewed At Frankfurt Motor Show