Audi Q8 e-tron SUV - Range, charging & running costs

As an electric car, the Q8 e-tron is exempt from VED (road tax) until 2025, and all models also escape the additional annual surcharge levied against cars costing more than £40,000. Other benefits include a low Benefit-in-Kind band for company car drivers and free entry to low-emission zones like the ULEZ and Congestion Charge in London – again, for the time being.

But just because it’s electric, don’t automatically assume the Audi Q8 e-tron will be cheap to run. It’s a big and heavy car, meaning it isn’t all that efficient. You’ll need a lot of electricity to fill that big battery, and with rising domestic and commercial energy costs, it’s not the financial no-brainer it once was. Audi servicing and replacement consumables like tyres and brake pads and discs also tend to be expensive.

Audi e-tron range & charging

The Q8 e-tron is available with a choice of two battery sizes – both significantly bigger than was offered when the car launched in 2019. The 50 e-tron now gets a 95kWh battery (up from 71kWh in the pre-facelift car) – offering an official range of between 261 and 283 miles depending on specification. 

Step up to the 55 e-tron and the larger 114kWh battery is fitted (up from 95kWh previously), which means up to 333 miles on a charge is possible. For comparison, a Jaguar I-Pace can manage up to 292 miles, while a BMW iX is capable of between 257 and 380 miles depending on spec. Beware, however, the bigger battery commands a big premium of around £5,000. While adding such a large battery improves range, there’s also no getting away from the fact the Q8 e-tron isn’t very efficient: during our testing we found it tricky to get more than 2.5 miles/kWh, which would result in a range 75 miles shy of the official figure.

At the top of the Audi Q8 e-tron range sits the SQ8. It uses the same battery as the 55 model and can manage up to 284 miles of range – slightly less than the 55 e-tron due to the extra power and performance on offer. All models are available in the Sportback coupe-SUV bodystyle, which Audi claims is a little more efficient and can do a few more miles per charge.

Those planning to make really long journeys will be comforted by Audi's inclusion of 150kW DC fast-charge compatibility on the entry-level 50 e-tron, rising to 170kW on the higher-spec cars. It means when hooked up to a rapid charger, the Q8’s range can be charged to 80% capacity in as little as 28 minutes – or 31 minutes for cars with the bigger battery.

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Further to this, the Q8’s standard fit 11kW on-board AC charger, means wallbox charging times of just over nine hours on the 50 e-tron, or 11 hours and 30 minutes on the 55 e-tron and SQ8. Audi offers the ability to charge at up to 22kW as an option, but you’re more likely to have a 7kW charger at home; expect a full charge to take around 15 hours.

Audi uses several technologies to optimise driving range, and the Q8's regenerative braking system is claimed to make a huge contribution towards energy conservation. There is no one-pedal driving, but Audi still claims the e-tron’s set-up allows over 90% of all braking manoeuvres to be handled by the energy-recuperation system alone. The car's brake control system can determine whether to slow the car using the electric motor or disc brakes, or any combination of the two.

Unfortunately the Q8 e-tron isn’t a very efficient car. On a recent test we only managed to get 2.3miles/kWh, less than the Genesis GV70 Electrified we were testing it with. It means you’ll spend more on charging than in most other electric cars.

Insurance

We don’t yet have insurance groups for the updated Audi Q8 e-tron, but the pre-facelift model had some of the very highest ratings of any car on sale – some sitting in the top group 50, alongside the fastest Ferraris and Lamborghinis. 

While electric cars are growing in popularity, repair costs are high, and as such, insurance costs can vary wildly between models. However, these big, expensive electric SUVs seem particularly hard hit; the Association of British Insurers (ABI), who decide on insurance group ratings in the UK, also placed the Jaguar I-Pace in group 48 out of 50.

Servicing

The Q8 e-tron comes with Audi's standard three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty, and there's an additional eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty – a similar policy to that provided by Jaguar for the I-Pace. Tesla, meanwhile, offers the same duration of battery warranty, but with no mileage limit. The e-tron’s battery itself is bought with the car, and Audi currently offers no battery lease option.

Warranty

The e-tron comes with Audi's standard three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty, and there's an additional eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty – a similar policy to that provided by Jaguar for the I-Pace. Tesla, meanwhile, offers the same duration of battery warranty, but with no mileage limit. The e-tron’s battery itself is bought with the car, and Audi currently offers no battery lease option.