Broadly speaking, buyers of electric cars in Singapore at this point in time can be lumped into three main camps—namely, the early adopters, the Elon Musk ‘give me electric or give me death’ zealots and the criminally insane.
Of course, it could also be argued that all the above groups are one and the same, but that’s another discussion for another time.
And with that demographic firmly in mind, electric car manufacturers have tried to pander to them, with some form of gimmickry put into their cars. The BMW i3 with its controversial sci-fi egg silhouette, the Jaguar I-Pace with its near-vertical tail and the Tesla Model X with its articulated ‘falcon-wing’ doors.
And... in rolls the Audi e-tron, which is conspicuously shorn of gimmicks, design or otherwise (save perhaps for those optional insect-eye wing mirror cameras that sadly aren’t available here yet), a clear sign it’s trying to preach to people other than the figurative choir. It looks about as inoffensive as inoffensive gets, virtually identical to the carmaker’s other full-sized SUV, the Q7. The only real clues to its electric nature are some safety-orange accents, a blanked-out grille and its lack of tailpipes.
You see, the purpose of the e-tron, the carmaker’s first mass-produced electric car isn’t to shock (pun intended, obviously) but to appeal to as many people as possible by looking and driving as close to a ‘regular’ car as possible.
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Harimau Jadian
Shen disappeared around about the time when the surveyor from the Jabatan Pertanian (Agriculture Department) was killed. The surveyor’s body bore all the marks of a tiger attack—neck torn, head twisted, body covered in gashes—but for anyone who cared to look a little closer, it was clear that the perpetrator was no ordinary tiger. Five distinct claw marks were discernible in the prints left behind.
In The Air
There was a time when I knew more than I do now. Then, I knew for certain that the passage of time was tied undoubtedly to the progress of knowledge. That the tick of the clock was the sound of synapses linking together in our brain, or, in today’s age, that of bits and bytes being recorded. It was a law, with its requisite graph, where the Xs were linked inseparably to the Ys, and as time sped forward, so did knowledge. Breathless, possibly, but it would have kept up.
Adult Bedtime Stories (But Not That Kind Of Adult)
We’re not big on podcasts this side of the world, but its thriving audio drama genre has more than meets the ear. We take a novice dive into the realm of narrative podcasts on the good, bad, and somewhat strange.
Starships Were Meant To Fly Hands Up And Touch The Sky
As we begin to imagine the global travel industry post-Covid, airships are uniquely placed to deliver on our shopping list of 21st-century demands.
Battle Against The Worst Wildfire Season On Record In The US State
A dispatch from the front lines of the battle against the worst wildfire season on record in the US state of California.
In Our Own Backyard
In a globalised country such as Singapore, talent comes in many different forms and origins. But at the heart of it is the recognition of Singapore’s potential as a land of opportunity for fashion despite its tiny size.
Philip Tan - The Protagonist
Having grown up in and around film sets, is it any wonder that Lewis Tan is now making a living on the big (and small) screen? Step into the shoes of Tan, from stunt work to modelling gigs to being part of the emerging Asian actors wave, who is ready for the limelight.
Greased German Lightning
Porsche’s first electric car is more than a Tesla rival—it’s a brilliant Porsche in its own right.
Number Twenty
He was the poster boy of the Average Singaporean Man, our Foong, ‘average’ being the keyword. Furred with little vices as even the best of us are, like a tendency to stare at cleavage despite his hardest efforts not to, and a finger that often strayed up nostrils (his) when he thought others weren’t looking (they almost always were). But surely Nothing to be Alarmed With. For he was also nice, our Foong, good—if a little milquetoast. He was a blood donor (especially when he was trying to lose weight). He had a creed: work hard; no drugs; be kind to humans and animals. No cargo pants on weekdays, especially white ones. Or skintight bike shorts on public transportation.
Perfectly Symbiotic
Thank you all for being here tonight. I am honoured to be introducing our keynote speaker, a man some call an ambassador of our species, a man we now all know as this century’s ultimate pioneer, responsible for taking the human race into a better future.
What Is Clubhouse, The Buzzy New Audio Chat App?
Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio chat app launched less than a year ago, has caught the attention of tech industry bigshots like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — not to mention the Chinese government, which has already blocked it in the country.
7 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe
Forget physics, Porsche’s uber-SUV is right at home at Best Driver’s Car
RALLY CAR REVOLUTION
30 YEARS THAT REINVENTED THE SPORT OF RALLYING
6 apps to delight book lovers
Find more things to read, in more ways, and more people to discuss them with
Intake 2020 Audi S4 FIRST DRIVE
Cars like the Audi S4 have a complicated set of responsibilities. They have to be fast, high-tech, comfortable, well-built, efficient, safe, and satisfying to drive—not to mention good-looking. Personally, I prefer the looks of the old car, but that doesn’t mean the new car isn’t handsome enough to satisfy those who can afford the $50,895 starting price.
2021 Audi A3 Sedan
Sedans are sailing against serious headwinds these days, but Audi isn’t ready to give up.
As We see it – Hi-fi Arcana I
Some Stereophile readers will surely remember—some may even have in their collections—Christian Marclay’s 1985 vinyl release Record Without a Cover, surely one of the oddest records ever, right up there with the dying-rabbit record and the seven-inch single that’s tinted yellow by the band’s actual urine.
Ready to Rock
The Audi RS 6 is a station wagon, sure, but it doesn’t feel like one behind the wheel
Dealer Of Dreams
Want to get behind the wheel of a bentley, lambo, or bugatti? Manhattan car guy Brian Miller is here to help.
Take Control Of Your Audiobooks
Rip, convert, and stream your audiobook collection to any device, with Nick Peers