The Audi Q8 E-Tron is not quite the car you think it should be. No, it's not an electric version of the Audi Q8, rather a new name for the the Audi E-tron SUV that only arrived in 2018 as Audi’s first proper EV.
Back then it made headlines with its impressive 150kW peak charging rate, but even then the range was nothing to write home about. Five years later, its numbers are only about okay, so it’s a good thing that it’s facelift time.
The new name brings the flagship Audi EV's nomenclature in line with the smaller Audi Q4 E-tron and forthcoming Q6 E-tron. Audi will use even numbers for its electric cars and odd numbers for its combustion engined cars. The Q8 remains as is for now, but don't be surprised to see this known as something different in the future (Q7 Sportback, or Q9 perhaps?)
There are some visual tweaks over the previous E-tron, including new alloy wheel designs and redesigned bumpers and grilles, but the big news is to be found under the skin. Five years of advances in battery energy density have enabled Audi to increase the usable capacities of the battery packs from 71kWh to 89kWh (in the entry-level 50 variant) and from 89kWh to 106kWh (in the 55 and the sporty Audi SQ8 E-tron). Meanwhile, more advanced motors and a reduced drag coefficient have improved the energy efficiency.
