The Audi Q8 e-tron is as capable an SUV in electric form as it is as a petrol or diesel, with even smoother, punchier performance, even better refinement and lower running costs. That said, by EV standards it's not very efficient, which doesn't just mean you'll be charging it more regularly than some rivals, but also that if you regularly use public fast chargers, it may not even be that much cheaper than filling a Q8 diesel's tank.
The optional digital mirrors should be avoided entirely too – for the £1,750 Audi charges they make little practical difference to efficiency, and simply aren't as easy to use as regular mirrors. Thankfully, the rest of the Q8 e-tron's tech is better judged, and it remains a desirable car overall.
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
The Q8 e-tron gets some hefty battery pack sizes in either 50 quattro (89kWh) or 55 quattro (106kWh) guises. We tested the latter, which promises a range of up to 330 miles, for claimed efficiency of 3.1 miles per kilowatt hour. As is often the case, the reality proved a little lower during our winter test drive, with heating, lights, and poor weather dragging that down to more like 2.3mi/kWh, for a maximum real-world range of nearer 240 miles. Fast charging was at least painless, and Audi claims a 10-80% top-up, at up to 170kW, of 31 minutes.
The Q8 has the usual impenetrable Audi feel on the move – it's stable on the motorway but confident and grippy in the corners too, even on wet roads. Very refined, too, if not quite up to the standard of a BMW iX, and the standard air suspension smooths away all but the worst road surfaces. A 0-62mph time of six seconds flat is competitive – and in day to day driving, it's always good for quick bursts of smooth acceleration, for example to join a motorway. We're less keen on the Q8's 'smart' regenerative braking though, which means the car responds differently almost every time you back off the accelerator – not great for driver confidence.
Interior, practicality and boot space
Avoid, if you can, the Q8 e-tron's digital door mirror option. They're an enormous blot on an otherwise pretty clean copybook. They have several problems: the cameras are mounted where regular mirrors would usually be so you almost always glance at them first, the screens themselves are too low and are a bit of a daft shape, and the image quality isn't especially crisp either.
That aside, the Q8 e-tron's interior is to the same high standard of almost every other Audi. It's well-built, comfortable, fairly easy on the eyes, and Audi's infotainment technology (covered in more detail below) is straightforward to use. Front-seat space is excellent, and it's not bad in the rear either, even in sloping-roofed Sportback form. Regular Q8 e-trons get 569 litres of boot space, and 528 litres in the Sportback. The space itself is big and square, so accommodates bulky luggage quite nicely, while there's a small 'frunk' under the bonnet primarily for storing the charging cable bag.