Audi Q8 e-tron SUV

The Audi Q8 e-tron SUV is a luxurious electric car with plenty of space

Overview

The Audi Q8 e-tron SUV is a refreshed variation of Audi’s first electric car, known simply as the ‘e-tron’. This updated version – with ‘Q8’ added – comes with much improved battery range.

You can order it either as an SUV or in a slinky Sportback shape. We analyse the SUV below.

The Q8 etron SUV is a roomy, speedy EV and all trims come with four-wheel-drive.

It has a lovely Audi cabin and plenty of room for 5 people, plus a spacious boot.

Rapid charging on trips is also well catered for.

Our quick review below focusses on key electric characteristics, such as charging times and costs at home and in public, official WLTP v. real-world range, efficiency in miles per kWh, performance stats, and more.

Audi Q8 e-tron SUV Price, Trims & Variants

The price of the Q8 e-tron starts at £70,715 for the base Sport 50 quattro trim, and goes up to £102,115 for the top spec Vorsprung 55 quattro trim. Here are all the variants:

Range & Batteries

How far can you drive on a full charge of the battery in the Q8? In ideal conditions, you should be able to achieve the official ‘WLTP’ range in miles. However in winter, for example, electric car batteries don’t perform as well, and actual range will be lower.

This table shows both the more optimistic WLTP range, and a rough, more likely ‘average’ range for the various versions of the Q8 e-tron SUV:

Efficiency

We are all used to ‘miles per gallon’ of petrol or diesel when thinking about efficiency in traditional cars. With EVs, you need to replace ‘gallon’ with ‘kWh’. 1 kWh = 1 unit of electricity. So the ‘miles per kWh’ measure tells you how many miles you can go on 1 kWh of electricity – the higher the number the better.

Here’s data for the Q8 etron, together with an equivalent in miles per gallon (yes, electric cars really are that efficient!):

Charging Times & Costs

If you have off-street parking, the best and cheapest place to charge your e-tron is at home. Depending on your home energy tariff, you’ll either charge at a standard flat rate or at a lower off-peak rate. The 0-100% charge times below are a ‘worst case’ scenario – typically you will charge 1-2 hours a day, or maybe go for a longer charge on just a couple of days a week.

Charging at Home on an Off-peak rate of 10p per kWh

Charging at Home on a Peak rate of 34p per kWh

When you’re on a trip, you can get a quick boost at a rapid charger. These vary in terms of charging speed and you are also limited by the Q8’s maximum charging rate. Take the 10-80% charging times with a pinch of salt – the charging rate will gradually decrease and times are often longer.

Charging in Public at a 50 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 50p per kWh

Charging in Public at a 150 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 60p per kWh

Charging in Public at a 350 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 70p per kWh

Performance

The Audi Q8 e-tron SUV, like all pure electric cars, has its wheels turned by one or more electric motors. The motors themselves are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Battery + electric motor is a great combination, giving you instant torque with no gears to change.

You’ll find the e-tron eerily quiet after an internal combustion engine. Here are the performance stats:

Audi Q8 e-tron SUV Boot Space & Dimensions

This version of the Q8 e-tron is an SUV, and its boot space can be further increased by folding the rear seats down. Here are all the boot and dimensions measurements:

Boot Space & Cargo Volume

Dimensions

Next Steps

We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief analysis of the Q8 e-tron SUV. We’ve focussed mainly on potentially unfamiliar electric car related items, such as batteries, range and charging.

Where to next?

1. Narrow down your EV search in a systematic way using our Car Selector tool
2. Read more about the Q8 e-tron SUV at Audi’s UK website
3. If you’re ready to go, consider leasing the Audi Q8 e-tron SUV from a low-cost broker