[ad_1]
The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback are the latest versions (under new names) of the battery-electric SUV and “SUV coupe” that the German luxury brand has been selling since 2019 and 2020. Not only have they revised their front styling, but they it also gains a higher-capacity battery that provides a substantial increase in range—including one version that’s expected to clear the crucial 300 mile rating.
The time for EVs is moving fast, and Tesla has already sold roughly half of the 2 million or so electric vehicles currently on US roads. Audi was late to the EV party, first offering the E-Tron SUV for the 2019 model year, and many long-time owners purchased their first long-range electric vehicle from Tesla when Audi had no EVs for sale. Tesla’s US sales now outnumber Audi’s entire range.
I drove both E-Tron Q8s for a total of about 175 miles through northern California forests and back roads, although I did sample the more powerful E-Tron SQ8 which is powered by three motors rather than two. My goal is to answer the question: Is this pair of updated Audi E-Tron SUVs good enough to entice drivers of a Tesla Model X or Model Y crossover utility?
The answer is a qualified “Maybe”. More on that later.
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron: More like an ICE SUV
Audi’s updated naming conventions for SUVs (“Q” range) and sedans (“A” range) assign even numbers to EVs, while models with internal combustion engines (ICE) get odd numbers. So, the top-of-the-range electric SUV formerly known as the “E-Tron” is now the Q8 E-Tron. There’s just one problem: the ICE Q8 is already on the list and will co-exist with the Q8 E-Tron in defiance of the new naming convention.
To blend the two different vehicles into one lineup, the electric Q8 has an updated front end that echoes the gas version. That means it has a more defined grille pattern with deeper relief, in black or body colour, which can be likened to an combustion vehicle grille. The E-Tron’s flat silver blanking panel previously suggested its electric powertrain, but apparently that’s no longer the goal.
Audi Q8 Sportback E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 Sportback E-Tron 2024
The overall effect is subtle, but somehow makes the squarer version of the Q8 E-Tron SUV appear a bit sleeker, despite its hefty presence. The Q8 E-Tron Sportback’s tall “coupe” tail remains an acquired taste, but is more popular outside of North America. Sales of the E-Tron Sportback are only 10-15% of the total sales of the previous year’s model.
Other changes include new wheel designs (in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes) and Q8 badges on the pillars between the doors, and on the tailgate — now in glossy black instead of traditional chrome. The interior hasn’t changed much; it will be very familiar to Audi drivers and previous E-Tron owners in particular.
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron: Performance evolved, not redefined
Audi has several goals in updating its large EV drive software. Among them are better differentiation between driving modes (Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Off-road and All-road) and a sportier feel. Revised bushings and control arms, along with a quicker steering ratio (14.6:1 versus the old 15.8:1) make this heavy SUV less numb and more tool-like than its predecessor.
As before, all models come with air suspension and adaptive dampers combined to handle most road conditions well. My only complaint was a bit of head tossing and body rolling imperfections on some of the two lane forest trails en route. The Q8 E-Tron drives its rear wheels by default, with the front motor engaging (quicker, says Audi) when needed for traction or cornering performance. It’s all pretty smooth and I never detected a transition.
Acceleration from the higher capacity battery remains the same, namely 5.6 seconds at 60 mph. Audi is moving away from the explosive acceleration offered by Tesla. The front and rear motors combine to produce 355 hp and 414 lb-ft of torque, which makes up to 402 hp and 490 lb-ft of power in the Sport shifter mode.
Regenerative braking is mostly accomplished via the brake pedal; there’s no setting for “single pedal driving” that seasoned EV drivers prefer. That said, the “Automatic” setting for regenerative braking (called “recovery” by the German manufacturers) increases regen when following another vehicle or based on map data. It takes a bit of acclimatization, but is very useful in certain types of driving.
Overall, the Q8’s electric dynamics are an evolution of the E-Tron rather than a redefinition. For the record, both of the early production E-Tron Q8s I drove screwed together wonderfully.
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron: Still inefficient but less so
The Achilles heel of the E-Tron when it launched its launch was its inefficiency, which resulted in a rated range of just 204 miles from its 95-kwh battery pack. This is especially noticeable at highway speeds. During my month-long loan from the 2020 E-Tron SUV, I never observed an efficiency of more than 1.9 to 2.0 miles per kwh at highway speeds—and my month-long efficiency figure was only 2.1 miles/kwh.
That compares to about 3.0 miles/kwh for the Tesla Model X, also reflected in the efficiency of competitors’ EPA ratings: 74 MPGe for the 2019 Audi E-Tron SUV versus 96 MPGe for the same year’s Tesla Model X Long Range, which has an EPA rating. at a range of 325 miles. (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent, or MPGe, is the distance an electric car can travel with the energy contained in 1 gallon of gasoline, or 33.7 kwh.)
For 2024, Audi has made several updates to improve the efficiency of the large SUV, including active grille shutters and special attention to airflow around the wheels and under the vehicle. Overall, the drag coefficient decreased by 0.02 to 0.29 for the SUV and 0.27 for the Sportback. Just as importantly, new nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cells in the larger 114-kwh battery (106 kwh usable) provide an estimated EPA range rating of 300 miles for at least one version.
Indeed, on my 175-mile ride I observed better efficiency: 2.3 to 2.4 mi/kwh. But—and it’s a big but—the drive route contains less than 15 miles of freeway, meaning most of the journey is done at speeds closer to 55 mph rather than the typical 75-80 mph on California highways. In December, Green Car Reports clocked 2.5 mph in various versions of the E-Tron Q8 in a show drive at Lanzarote in the Canary Islands—even at a lower average speed.
Audi has upped the charge rate of the new Q8 E-Tron to keep charge times roughly the same, even with the higher capacity battery packs. The onboard Level 2 charger is rated at 11 kw, though some plugs may not be able to provide it. We didn’t get a chance to quickly charge the test car, but Audi says it has raised the peak DC charge rate of its 400-volt electric architecture from 150 kw to 170 kw. As before, the Q8 E-Trons can charge from 10-80% in just 31 minutes.
Chalk a quality improvement in efficiency, but with an asterisk. EPA efficiency ratings are not yet available. We’ll be waiting on EPA numbers and a week-long road-covering test drive before giving a final assessment.
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Audi Q8 E-Tron 2024
Can Audi beat Tesla?
With sales of 1,530 units in 2023, the pair of large E-Tron SUVs — now starting at $76,000 including shipping — have become the pricier older siblings of the higher-volume Q4 E-Tron range that start at around $51,000.
Can the updated E-Tron woo luxury buyers whose Model X SUV is now several years old? Of course Audi is traditionally more upscale, and they offer an established national dealer network to provide service if needed.
The problem is that Tesla drivers have become accustomed to the Supercharger’s ubiquitous, seamless and highly reliable fast charging network which is now perhaps the single greatest advantage of owning a Tesla. Audis — and every other non-Tesla EV — rely on patch batches of competing DC fast-charging networks now engaged in a land grab that prioritizes new installs over keeping the station actually running and capable of charging every EV that goes.
When a pair of EV reporters asked Audi executives how it plans to compete with Tesla’s Supercharging advantage on drive programs, they pointed to two years of free, unlimited fast charging on the fast-growing Electrify America network that comes with any Q8 E-Tron. . Asked in detail about increasingly unreliable networks, with more than one in five charging attempts unable to complete as measured by JD Power in a March 2023 report, the executive suggested Audi EV owners would do most of their charging at home.
That’s true, but that misses the point. A Tesla SUV can travel long distances without the driver having to worry that a scheduled charging stop will land it on a dead, damaged, repaired, or unloaded charger. Current Audi EV owners don’t have that confidence.
Audi’s response? “Our buyers have multiple vehicles, so they can always choose to go with a petrol model for the occasional long trip. They will enjoy an excellent electric car for everyday use.” That’s discouraging for 2023, but it helps answer my original question: Tesla owners may be interested in the features, performance, and other factors of the Q8 E-Tron, but many of them won’t make the switch until national CCS fast charging is reliable and ubiquitous. where as Supercharging.
Today, it seems a long way off.
Audi provides airfare and lodging for the Motor Authority to bring you this live driving report.
[ad_2]
Source link
