Audi E-Tron electric SUV conquers Pikes Peak

E-tron will be the first production EV to receive a by-wire braking system.

Audi says the E-tron's braking distance is up to 20 percent shorter because of the immediacy of a by-wire setup.

Audi's E-tron will bow sans QR-code camouflage on September 17.

Halfway down Pikes Peak, our man Paukert verifies that the Audi E-Tron's brakes are cool to the touch.

A tablet displayed the prototype E-tron's powertrain and by-wire braking system status in real time. 

Audi's Dr. Michael Wein walks our author through the finer points of the E-tron's by-wire brake system.

Kinetic energy is recovered via the E-Tron's asynchronous electric motors.

A set of steering wheel paddles allow the driver to select how much regen braking he or she prefers.

Audi claims that the regen system is active in over 90 percent of typical daily braking scenarios, recuperating up to 0.3 g using the motors alone.

Despite its conventional crossover shape, there appears to be a quiet revolution going on underneath the skin of the E-tron.

This isn't a bunch of dudes playing RoboRaid, it's a HoloLens walkthrough of the E-tron's brakes. 

Over the course of our descent down Pikes Peak Highway -- all 12.4 miles and 156 turns worth -- my test vehicle's regenerative braking system actually added 6.8 kWh to the battery pack. 

Keep clicking or scrolling for more images of the Audi E-tron tackling Colorado's legendary Pikes Peak.