The car you have on your screens is the new Audi Q8 etron. The name should not mislead you: it is a face wash of the 100% electric Audi e-tron, which adopts this name to make it clear that it is Audi’s electrified flagship. The Audi Q8 with thermal engines that we already know will continue to be sold in parallel. With this update, Audi has taken the opportunity to update both the aesthetics of its electric SUV and its techniquehighlighting a notable increase in its electric autonomy.
The main change, in our opinion, is in the adoption of new higher capacity lithium ion batteries. In the Audi Q8 50 e-tron – the access versions – the battery has a capacity of 95 kWh (89 kWh net) and in the Q8 55 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron the battery has a capacity of about monstrous 114 kWh of capacity (106 kWh net). These new batteries increase the useful capacity in relative terms and also allow the charging power to be increased, which now reaches peaks of 170 kW of power in the top-of-the-range Audi SQ8 e-tron.
The top-of-the-range versions increase their battery capacity by 20 useful kWh.
But without a doubt, the greatest benefit of this larger battery is in the increase in the autonomy of these SUVs, one of the weakest points before this update. The Audi Q8 50 e-tron and its Sportback version now have respective autonomy of 491 km and 505 km with the 89 kWh battery, while the Q8 55 e-tron and e-tron Sportback, with the 106 kWh battery, they can boast combined WLTP ranges of 582 km and 600 km. To establish comparisons, the autonomy of the Q8 e-tron 55 has increased by 178 km after this technical update.
For its part, the SQ8 e-tron versions offer a range of 494 km and 513 km, always with the largest capacity battery. Under ideal conditions, these sports versions complete 10-80% of their charge in 31 minutes at their maximum power of 170 kW, 20 kW more than the Q8 e-tron with the “small” battery. Optionally, the on-board charger of the Q8 e-tron family can have up to 22 kW of power. The technical changes do not end here: Audi has increased the number of coils in the electric motors, increasing the torque in specific conditions.
The cosmetic changes also improve the car’s aerodynamic performance.
At the same time, its energy consumption is reduced in situations of low demand. However, the combined power of these electric SUVs does not vary, nor does their top speed. The facelift of the Audi Q8 e-tron brings a renewed aesthetic, in which the main change is a new radiator grille with integrated LEDs and revised bumpers, both front and rear. They have a fresher look, and also reduce the aerodynamic coefficient: the cX goes from 0.28 to 0.27 in the Q8 e-tron and from 0.26 to 0.24 in the Sportback versions.
Inside, the changes are minimal., and are limited to new materials and finishes, such as natural walnut wood and upholstery made from recycled PET bottles. The facelifted Audi Q8 e-tron and Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback will arrive at dealerships from February 2023.
