Ride, Powered by Kelley Blue Book, Completes Coast-to-Coast Drive in Audi e-tron Utilizing Electrify America Charging Network

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Dec 19, 2019, 10:01 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ride, powered by Kelley Blue Book, editors successfully finished a cross-country drive mimicking the famed non-stop coast-to-coast "Cannonball Run Challenge." Unlike the dozens of other attempts during the past century, which have primarily used combustion engines, the team drove coast-to-coast in a pure-electric Audi e-tron crossover – not one drop of fuel was consumed during the continuous 3,025-mile trek, which took just more than 60 hours.

New-for-2019, the five-passenger Audi e-tron was selected for its highway efficiency, interior space and ability to re-charge its 95 kilowatt battery to an 80% state-of-charge in just 27 minutes.

"The battery pack in the e-tron was engineered for repeatable performance, longevity and peak charging power," said Mark Dahncke, communications director at Audi of America. "As a result, it delivers the fastest charging speed of any electric SUV, which was crucial when duplicating the Cannonball Run."

The three-person driving team, which included Ride's Jeff Glucker, Josh Ostrander and Micah Muzio, utilized the Electrify America charging network.

"As of today, we have placed more than 1,650 DC fast chargers at more than 360 highway and metro locations across the United States," said Mike Moran, head of communications at Electrify America. "An ease of accessibility, combined with our innovative mobile app payment process, allowed the team to effortlessly stop at regular intervals along their route for rapid charging."

"Our goal wasn't to set any land speed records," remarked Michael Harley, executive editor at Kelley Blue Book. "Instead, our objective was to duplicate the Cannonball Run with a pure-electric format – completely carbon emission-free. The team intended to validate electric vehicle reliability, which the Audi e-tron commendably accomplished, and to demonstrate that a viable high-speed DC charging network – that is accessible to all EV owners – exists across the United States."

About Ride, Powered by Kelley Blue Book
Ride, Powered by Kelley Blue Book, which launched in May 2019, was built to help educate and empower consumers about the technology that is rapidly transforming the movement of people and goods today and in the future.

For more information about Ride by Kelley Blue Book, visit https://ride.tech/, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RideTechNews (or @RideTechNews), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ridetechnews, and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ridetechnews/ (or @RideTechNews).

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