Audi’s improved e-tron is now official, and has been given a new name. The Q8 e-tron is the new name, which, according to Audi, should make clear that this is the new electric flagship – in direct competition with cars like the BMW iX, Nio ES8, Tesla Model X and Volvo EX90, which will also be launched later on Wednesday. .
Long range, but shorter range than expected
First of all: scope. It was speculated last summer that the new e-tron would have a range of over 600 km, but now it turns out that’s true with some modifications. Audi advertises 600 km for the most durable variant, but this is only for city driving. For a “combined” course in which the WLTP range is usually mentioned, the figure is about 550 kilometers.
Anyway, it’s a nice upgrade from today’s most durable model in the e-tron, which runs around 400 kilometers. To achieve this, Audi has installed a new battery of 114 kWh gross and 106 net, and worked on efficiency in the form of aerodynamics and some interior upgrades.
The day’s battery of 95 kWh total is also retained, but the usable capacity has been increased from about 86 to 89 kWh. The smaller 71 kWh battery is dropped.
450 km at least
It gives WLTP ranges as follows (numbers are still approximate, as the car was not finally certified):
- Q8 e-tron 50 Advanced: 453 km
- Q8 Sportback e-tron 50 Advanced: 465 km
- Q8 e-tron 55 Advanced: 532 km
- Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 Advanced: 548 km
The new battery also received a slightly improved charging speed, with a maximum of 170 kW (still 150 on the smaller battery). The E-tron is already known to maintain high power over large portions of the charging curve, and Audi’s charging curve showed us that the new maximum power occurs around a half-full battery.
10 to 80 percent should also take 29 minutes on an 89 kWh battery and 31 minutes on a 104 kWh battery. An on-board charger is 11 kW standard, while 22 kW is optional, and you can also pay for an extra charging port on the right side of the car.
We also asked Audi why they had such a large “buffer” in their batteries, which means the difference between gross and net capacity is so big. They noted long-term durability, but admitted they “may have a slightly more conservative approach than some other manufacturers.”
Adjusted to a few millimeters
The new Q8 e-tron has grown slightly in all directions. It is 4915 mm long (+14 mm from the current version), 1937 mm wide (+2 mm), and 1633 mm (+4 mm) high.
The trunk is also more or less identical to the current model: 594 liters in the SUV version and 555 liters in the Sportback version, as well as a storage box of 62 liters in each.
On the outside, things happened mainly in the grill, with a new design and a new light strip highlighting the Audi rings at the front. The Audi rings have also been flattened and the white has been replaced with chrome, plus the model is now set on the B-pillar, both of which are part of Audi’s new visual identity.
Other changes are primarily aerodynamics, including a new spoiler for the wheels, a new air blade above the rear diffuser and a new front air duct that can be closed when cooling is not needed.
The drag coefficient is set at 0.27 for the SUV version and 0.24 for the Sportback version – down from 0.28 and 0.26 for current models.
Overall, Audi says it has improved the car’s efficiency by about six percent, thanks in part to the improvement in aerodynamics and partly to an increase in the number of copper coils in the car’s rear engine. It is said to provide a stronger magnetic field and the ability to generate the same torque with less current – which in turn results in lower consumption.
Two or three motors
Modifications to the steering, software and adaptive air damping (still standard), according to Audi, should provide better steering through bends, among other things.
Otherwise, the engine’s performance is as follows (all numbers in boost mode):
- Q8 e-tron 50: 250 kW (340 hp), 664 Nm. 0-100 in 6.0 seconds.
- Q8 e-tron 55: 300 kW (408 hp), 664 Nm. 0-100 in 5.6 seconds.
- Q8 e-tron S: 370 kW (504 hp), 973 Nm. 0-100 in 4.5 seconds.
The 50 and 55 have two engines, while the e-tron S gets three. The top speed is 200 kilometers per hour for the 50, 55 and 210 kilometers per hour for the e-tron S.
Otherwise, much of the current model has been retained. The car can still tow 1,800 kg on the towbar, adaptive air damping, as mentioned, is still standard, and the car can be had with a camera mirror and digital matrix lights.
The latter has also been developed with new functions, including the ability to display an animation on the road ahead that extends from the area you are in to the area you are about to change to, and the ability to “place” a warning symbol on the road, for example, a car is on The shoulder of the road ahead of you some distance.
Inside, Audi says it has done a lot of work with the colors and moulding, with contrast stitching on all the leather seats (it’s said to be something that was in great demand by “all” markets), high-quality wood and new tech materials made from recycled plastic bottles.
Besides the launch, the Norwegian starting prices are also straightforward.
- Q8 e-tron 50: 658,100 NOK
- Q8 e-tron 55: 751100 NOK
- SQ8 e-tron: 841700 NOK
These prices are without shipping and handling and also without any value-added tax and weight tax on electric vehicles. With VAT on the purchase price over NOK 500,000, prices go up as follows:
- Q8 e-tron 50: 697,625 NOK
- Q8 e-tron 55: 813,875 NOK
- SQ8 e-tron: 927,125 NOK
At the same time, Audi says equipment levels have been increased over the previous model, for example, the entry-level model now has the same exterior design as the “advanced” model previously. This means, among other things, that the car is no longer equipped with unpainted plastic parts on the outside.
The first cars will be delivered at the end of February, according to Audi.
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