EV time strikes quick, and Tesla has bought roughly half the two million or so all-electric autos now on U.S. roads. Audi was late to the EV celebration, first providing the E-Tron SUV for the 2019 mannequin 12 months, and plenty of long-time house owners purchased their first long-range electrical car from Tesla when Audi had no EVs to promote. Tesla gross sales within the U.S. now outnumber these of Audi’s total lineup.
The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback are up to date variations (with new names) of the battery-electric SUV and “coupe SUV” the German luxurious model has bought since 2019 and 2020, respectively. Not solely have they got revised entrance styling, however additionally they get a higher-capacity battery that gives a considerable vary increase—together with one model anticipated to clear the essential 300-mile score.
I drove each Q8 E-Trons a complete of about 175 miles by the forests and again roads of northern California, although I didn’t pattern the extra highly effective SQ8 E-Tron powered by three motors fairly than two. My purpose was to reply the query: Is that this up to date pair of Audi E-Tron SUVs sufficiently higher to lure drivers of Tesla Mannequin X or Mannequin Y crossover utilities?
The reply is a certified “Perhaps.” Extra on that later.
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
Audi Q8 E-Tron: Appears extra like an ICE SUV
Audi’s up to date naming conference for its SUVs (the “Q” ranges) and sedans (the “A” ranges) assign even numbers to EVs, whereas fashions with an inside combustion engine (ICE) get odd numbers. So, the range-topping electrical SUV previously often known as “E-Tron” is now the Q8 E-Tron. There’s only one drawback: an ICE Q8 is already within the lineup and it’ll coexist with the Q8 E-Tron in defiance of the brand new naming conference.
To mix the 2 completely different autos right into a single lineup, the electrical Q8 has an up to date entrance finish that echoes that of the gasoline model. Meaning it has a extra outlined grid sample in deeper reduction, in black or physique coloration, that might go for the grille of a combustion car. The sooner E-Tron’s flat silver blanking panel urged its electrical powertrain, however evidently’s now not the purpose.
2024 Audi Q8 Sportback E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 Sportback E-Tron
The general impact is refined, however in some way makes the squarer SUV model of the Q8 E-Tron appear a bit sleeker, regardless of its substantial presence and bulk. The tall “coupe” tail of the Q8 E-Tron Sportback stays an acquired style, nevertheless it’s extra standard outdoors North America. Gross sales of the E-Tron Sportback have been solely 10-15% of the full in earlier mannequin years.
Different adjustments embody new wheel designs (in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes) and Q8 badging on the pillars between the doorways, and on the tailgate—now in shiny black fairly than the normal chrome. The inside hasn’t modified a lot; will probably be reassuringly acquainted to Audi drivers and house owners of the sooner E-Tron particularly.
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
Audi Q8 E-Tron: Efficiency advanced, not redefined
Audi had a number of objectives in updating the drive software program of its massive EVs. Amongst them have been higher differentiation amongst drive modes (Effectivity, Consolation, Auto, Off-road, and All-road) and a sportier really feel. Revised bushings and management arms, together with a faster steering ratio (14.6:1 versus the outdated 15.8:1) make these heavy SUVs much less numb and appliance-like than the earlier variations.
As earlier than, all fashions include air suspension and adaptive dampers that mix to deal with most highway circumstances effectively. My solely grievance was a little bit of head toss and physique roll over imperfections in a number of the two-lane forest roads on the drive. The Q8 E-Tron powers its rear wheels by default, with the entrance motor kicking in (quicker, Audi says) when wanted for traction or cornering efficiency. It’s all sufficiently seamless and I by no means detected the transitions.
Acceleration from the higher-capacity battery stays the identical, at 5.6 seconds within the 60 mph run. Audi has stayed away from the explosive acceleration supplied by Tesla. The entrance and rear motors mix to provide 355 hp and 414 lb-ft of torque, which ratchets as much as 402 hp and 490 lb-ft within the shifter’s Sport mode.
The regenerative braking is basically accomplished by the brake pedal; no setting exists for the “one-pedal driving” most popular by skilled EV drivers. That stated, the “Auto” setting for regenerative braking (referred to as “recuperation” by German makers) boosts the regen when following one other car or primarily based on map knowledge. It takes a little bit of acclimatization, nevertheless it’s surprisingly helpful in sure kinds of driving.
Total, the electrical Q8’s dynamics are an evolution of the E-Tron fairly than a redefinition. For the file, each early-production Q8 E-Trons I drove have been beautifully screwed collectively.
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
Audi Q8 E-Tron: Nonetheless inefficient however much less so
The Achilles Heel of the E-Tron when it launched launch was its inefficiency, which produced a rated vary of solely 204 miles from its 95-kwh battery pack. This was particularly pronounced at freeway speeds. Over a month-long mortgage of a 2020 E-Tron SUV, I by no means noticed effectivity of greater than 1.9 to 2.0 miles per kwh at freeway speeds—and my month-long effectivity quantity was simply 2.1 mi/kwh.
That in comparison with roughly 3.0 mi/kwh for a Tesla Mannequin X, additionally mirrored within the opponents’ EPA-rated efficiencies: 74 MPGe for the 2019 Audi E-Tron SUV versus 96 MPGe for the Tesla Mannequin X Lengthy Vary of the identical 12 months, which had an EPA-rated at 325 miles of vary. (Miles Per Gallon Equal, or MPGe, is the space an electrical automobile can journey on the vitality contained in 1 gallon of gasoline, or 33.7 kwh.)
For 2024, Audi has made a number of updates to spice up the large SUVs’ effectivity, together with energetic grille shutters and particular consideration to airflow across the wheels and beneath the car. Total, the drag coefficients have fallen by 0.02, to 0.29 for the SUV and 0.27 for the Sportback. Equally vital, the brand new nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cells within the greater 114-kwh battery (106 kwh usable) ship an estimated EPA vary score of 300 miles for not less than one model.
Certainly, in my 175 miles of driving, I noticed higher efficiencies: 2.3 to 2.4 mi/kwh. However—and it’s an enormous however—the drive route contained lower than 15 miles of freeway driving, that means the majority of the journey was accomplished at speeds nearer to 55 mph than the 75-80 mph that’s customary on California highways. In December, Inexperienced Automotive Studies recorded 2.5 mi/kwh in numerous Q8 E-Tron variations in a drive occasion on Lanzarote within the Canary Islands—at even decrease common speeds.
Audi has raised the charging fee of the brand new Q8 e-tron to maintain cost occasions roughly the identical, even with the higher-capacity battery pack. The onboard Degree 2 charger is rated at 11 kw, although some plugs might not be capable to present that. We did not get an opportunity to fast-charge the take a look at automobiles, however Audi says it has raised the height DC charging fee of its 400-volt electrical structure from 150 kw to 170 kw. As earlier than the Q8 e-trons can cost from 10-80% in as little as 31 minutes.
Chalk up a certified enchancment in effectivity, however with an asterisk. EPA effectivity rankings aren’t but obtainable. We’ll await the EPA numbers and a week-long take a look at drive that features highways earlier than passing remaining judgment.
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron
Can Audi conquer Tesla?
With gross sales of 1,530 items in 2023, the large E-Tron SUV pair—now stickering from $76,000 together with supply—has turn into the pricier elder sibling of the higher-volume This autumn E-Tron vary that begins at about $51,000.
Might the up to date E-Trons lure away luxurious patrons whose Mannequin Xes are actually a number of years outdated? Actually the Audis are extra historically luxurious, and so they supply a longtime nationwide community of sellers to supply service the place wanted.
The issue is that Tesla drivers have turn into used to the ever present, seamless, ultra-reliable Supercharger fast-charging community which will now be the one greatest benefit of proudly owning a Tesla. The Audis—and each different non-Tesla EV—depend on a patchwork assortment of competing DC fast-charging networks now engaged in a land seize that prioritizes new installations over conserving the stations really working and able to charging any EV that drives up.
When a pair of EV reporters requested Audi executives the way it deliberate to compete with Tesla’s Supercharging benefit on the drive program, they pointed to the 2 years of limitless free quick charging on the fast-expanding Electrify America community that comes with any Q8 E-Tron. Questioned intimately about that community’s rising unreliability, with a couple of in 5 charging makes an attempt unable to finish as measured by JD Energy in a March 2023 report, the execs urged Audi’s EV house owners will do the majority of their charging at dwelling.
That’s true, nevertheless it misses the purpose. A Tesla SUV can do a protracted highway journey with out the motive force having to fret {that a} scheduled charging cease will land them at chargers which might be useless, broken, beneath restore, or downrated. Audi EV house owners don’t presently have that confidence.
Audi’s response? “Our patrons have a number of autos, to allow them to at all times select to make use of a gasoline mannequin for these occasional lengthy journeys. They’ll take pleasure in a superb electrical automobile for each day use.” That’s discouraging for 2023, nevertheless it helps reply my authentic query: Tesla house owners could also be drawn to the Q8 E-Tron’s options, efficiency, and different components, however a lot of them gained’t swap till nationwide CCS quick charging is as dependable and ubiquitous as Supercharging.
Right now, that appears a great distance away.
Audi offered airfare and lodging for Motor Authority to deliver you this firsthand drive report.
