Audi has announced pricing for the Q8 e-tron electric SUV in the US. The new electric vehicle starts at $74,000, which is not bad, considering it has a massive battery pack.
The German premium automaker has been rapidly expanding its lineup of electric vehicles across all segments.
In November, Audi unveiled the Q8 e-tron, its latest top-of-the-line full-size electric SUV. At the time, the automaker had only released trims and pricing for the European versions of the electric vehicle.
Today, the German automaker released details about the US versions and pricing for the 2024 Q8 e-tron.
As has been the case with previous Audi electric vehicles, only the bigger battery pack version is available:
The vehicle starts at $74,400 before destination, taxes, title, other options, and dealer charges.
Speaking of that bigger battery pack, it is a massive 114 kWh battery pack. Audi has been known to use a big “energy buffer” in its pack, but it has now reduced the buffer, making the vehicle more efficient.
Audi wrote about the Q8 e-tron battery pack:
With a 23-percent greater net capacity of 106 kWh (114 kWh gross) from the previous model e-tron, the new Q8 e-tron improves on the battery pack’s usable capacity, utilizing 93 percent versus the previous 91 percent, thanks to adjustments to the battery management system. Coupled with advancements in cell technology and cell chemistry, the maximum DC charging power has also been increased from 150 kW to 170 kW, permitting recharging from 10 to 80 percent capacity in about 31 minutes. Under ideal Level-2 charging conditions, the Audi Q8 e-tron can recharge in around 13 hours at 9.6 kW (240V/40A), or in around 6.5 hours at 19.2kW (240V/80A).
We don’t have the EPA range enabled by this new battery pack yet, but it should be significant.
The 2024 Q8 e-tron is coming to showrooms by the summer of 2023, and we should have the EPA rating closer to the launch.
Based on the WLTP ranges released in Europe, the vehicle should get an advertised range of over 300 miles in the US.
All Q8 e-tron versions are all-wheel-drive with a 300 kW dual-motor powertrain.
Electrek’s Take
This looks like a solid offering and could prove popular in the SUV-hungry North American market.
My biggest concern is the DC fast-charging rate. For a 2024 model year EV, 170 kW is a bit limited, and with the bigger battery pack, you would expect Audi to enable a bigger peak charge increase than 20 kW.
Audi has been known for not having a high peak charge rate; however, it is able to maintain its peak charge rate for longer than other EVs, still resulting in a more than decent overall charging session.
We will be testing the Q8 e-tron in the next few months ahead of its launch in the US. We will report back to you about whether or not it meets our high expectations.