As the name suggests, the Audi Q8 e-tron is an electric car. Audi’s next-generation electric SUV is better looking and packs much more muscle. In fact, at over 114 kilowatt-hours, it features the largest battery pack on any passenger electric vehicle in India. For reference, the Audi Q8 e-tron is almost three times larger than the battery pack on the Tata Nexon EV Max.
There have been several styling tweaks compared to the previous generation. Gone are the chrome rings, now a raised ‘2-D’ logo sits on top of the car’s mesh grille and under a new light fixture that runs under the lip of the bonnet. The tweaks include some shutters behind the grille that can open and shut depending on the driving conditions, which makes the car more aerodynamic.
Some may find it odd that electric cars need radiators, but both high-performance Lithium-NMC batteries and battery management systems, the latter being a high-powered computer running the car, need active cooling. These design and software tweaks enable the car to eke out more per kilometre. The carmaker claims a range of 582 kilometres according to the global WLTP standard, this was clearly noticeable during my drive as the range computer claimed an energy efficiency of 5.1 kilometres per kilowatt-hour.
Much like the previous generation, the car manages to get up to speed very quickly, slightly quicker now at under six seconds to a hundred. There have been small tweaks to the handling characteristics which make it very nimble. But at the end of the day, it is still an SUV and Audi themselves make other electric cars that would do a lot better around corners.
The Audi with its excellent Bang and Olufsen audio system and brilliant air-conditioner makes this a rather practical electric luxury car. By keeping the essence of their electric cars similar to those of their internal combustion engine (ICE) offerings, the company is trying to convince those on the fence that the switch is not such a steep jump.
Audi India is yet to announce prices for the new Q8 e-tron and deliveries are scheduled to begin by the end of next month.
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More spaceship, less car
Their rivals at BMW though have gone to the other extreme, the new BMW i7 is the electric version of the new 7-series sedan. And while both cars look identical, the ICE car has been based on the electric rather than the other way around.
When I drove it over the past weekend, I was blown away by the i7 and it appeared that Wernher von Braun’s compatriots had finally built a spaceship, something that would make Star Trek proud. It just doesn’t go to space.
Just like the Q8 e-tron, the i7 can go very fast even around corners but that isn’t the car’s raison d’etre. This is a car that you’re meant to arrive in while sitting in the back seat. A massive 31-inch drop-down screen that connects to major streaming services means that the passengers in the rear seats can catch up on their favourite shows during the commute. All the controls are embedded in a touch-screen controller on the door handle. Including the ability to open and close the door.
Like the rear passengers, the driver also gets a seat with multiple massage functions.
You do feel a bit scared driving this two-crore beast around town. But there is a caveat, because electric vehicles pay a lower rate of GST and no road tax or registration charges (in Delhi and some other states) the electric i7 costs more or less the same as the petrol-powered 740i. And when you’re sitting in a spaceship like this it just feels right to be powered by the next generation of propulsion.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)