Jonathan Gitlin
LANZAROTE, SPAIN – The market for electric vehicles is still so nascent that most models are in their early childhood years. But the prevailing wisdom in the industry is that a model should last about eight years, with a high school revamp or refresh around year four. Not coincidentally, it’s been about four years since Audi started production of its first electric SUV, the e-tron, and more than 160,000 have been sold since then. Now the German automaker has a growing electric car offering, and “e-tron” has transitioned from a proper noun to an adjective in its business lexicon in the same way “quattro” did several decades earlier. So this midlife refresh includes a name change: e-tron becomes Q8 e-tron, highlighting the rather obvious similarities between this EV SUV and the gas-burning Q8.
When I drove the original e-tron in 2018, I found it solid, if a little unspectacular. It hit most of the right notes in terms of looks – Audi knows how to design handsome form, and its interior is top of the class, if a little gloomy at times. Developed in a fairly short period of time, the e-tron was only able to achieve a relatively mediocre 2.2 miles/kWh (28.2 kWh/100 km) at launch. That was enough for a range of more than 321 km, but not much more, although a software update in 2021 increased the usable capacity of the 95 kWh battery pack from 83 kWh to 86 kWh.
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Audi is good at designing good-looking SUVs, and the Q8 e-tron is no exception.
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The original e-tron SUV was a compelling alternative to the petrol Q8, but its low efficiency and limited range meant it was likely a second car. The refresh fixes that.
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Here you can see the Q8 e-tron in its second highest ride height, as the car is in allroad mode.
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As five-seat luxury SUVs go, this one isn’t bad.
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With this refresh, Audi has incorporated the EV’s badge into its current naming scheme.
While Audi is still waiting to finalize its EPA numbers before the Q8 e-tron arrives in the US next year, it says it expects the long-legged version to arrive with a range of at least 300 miles (483 km). This will presumably be the lower drag Sportback, returning as a bodystyle.
It took quite a few changes to get there. To begin with, there is a new battery pack between the axles. It’s the same size as the old battery, but Audi has changed both the cell type – now prismatic instead of pocket – and the chemistry, which was nickel-manganese-cobalt but is now nickel-cobalt-aluminium.
The percentage of cobalt has been significantly reduced, and Audi says that when combined with new battery management software, the changes mean a 20 percent increase in energy density. As a result, Q8 e-trons in the US market now have a total of 114 kWh, of which 106 kWh are usable.
The new package also charges faster than before. It can handle a peak charge of 170kW, instead of 150kW in the old model, and the charge curve has been optimized to maintain high power for as long as possible. Audi told us that fast charging from 10 to 80 per cent should take 31 minutes, and the Q8 e-tron now boasts ISO 11518 or plug-and-charge capabilities.
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The updates to the interior are minimal, but there is now more use of recycled materials.
Jonathan Gitlin
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Audi’s Virtual Cockpit display is standard equipment.
Audi
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There’s plenty of room in the back for adult-sized passengers.
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You can store 20 cubic feet (569 L) of cargo here with the rear seat in use.
Jonathan Gitlin
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The maximum cargo capacity is 58 cubic feet (1,637 L) with the rear seats folded (unlike in this photo).
Jonathan Gitlin
There’s also a new electric motor in the rear for the two-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain. Audi continues to use asynchronous electric motors here, rather than permanent magnet motors, because of the former’s advantage in terms of resistance when de-energized. The Q8 e-tron has been moved from 12 to 14 turns around the stator, generating a stronger magnetic field for the same input of current.
