2024 Audi Q8 e-tron: More Range for Audi's Biggest EV

• A new name for the Audi e-tron, the brand's biggest fully electric SUV.

• 2024 brings with it faster charging capabilities and, critically, more range.

• You also get more trims to pick from and some slightly massaged exterior looks.

The changeover to Q8 e-tron brings with it a number of improvements that you can't see, however. While the looks don't change much and the interior is by and large the same, the Q8 e-tron gets the option for a bigger battery pack, adds range, and will be able to charge slightly quicker than the e-tron that came before it. It will be available in a number of variants, too. There will be the base Q8 50 e-tron with a 95-kWh battery pack and its Sportback equivalent, while Q8 e-tron and Sportback models with the "55" designation get the more powerful battery pack.

The more performance-oriented S models return with their three-motor setup and more power. The SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron Sportback represent the tippy tip of the new Q8 e-tron range and will carry the heftiest premium, even if prices haven't been revealed yet.

The last e-tron was a solid all-around vehicle, but that was when it debuted for 2019. In just a few short years Mercedes, BMW, Genesis and others have caught up to the e-tron. Hopefully the refreshed model can retain its relevance and take another, more convincing shot at the luxury EV SUV crown.

Q8 e-tron power and torque figures

The Q8 e-tron will come in a number of battery and motor configurations. The first is the base Q8 50 e-tron model (and its Sportback equivalent). This model gets two electric motors, one at the front and one at the rear, for standard all-wheel drive. Peak output for the base Q8 e-tron is rated at 335 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque in the car's boost mode. That's actually less than the 2023 e-tron's output of 402 hp and 490 lb-ft when in boost mode, but keep in mind the 50 is the new base model.

If you want a little extra pep in your step, you'll have to step up to the Q8 55 e-tron model. There, peak horsepower jumps to 402 hp in boost mode, but peak torque remains the same. For those of you who crave serious EV punch, there's the SQ8 e-tron. Thanks to three electric motors (two at the back and one at the front), the SQ8 e-tron makes a hearty 496 horsepower and 718 lb-ft of torque.

Small changes to the electric motors (like the addition of two more coils for a total of 14) mean the motors make more power but require less energy to do so, making the car more efficient. And 2024 brings the option for a higher-capacity battery. The Q8 50 e-tron uses a 95-kWh battery pack — the same as the previous e-tron — while the bigger battery pack found in other models has a usable capacity of 106 kWh. Even though the more powerful battery isn't substantially bigger, upgrades in efficiency mean major range gains.

How's the Q8 e-tron's interior?

Very little has changed on the inside. The design is identical to the e-tron that came before, and the biggest differences will be to the inlays on the dashboard and some changes to various menu structures in Audi's class-leading MMI infotainment system.

To give you a better idea of the interior, we'll revisit some of our impressions from previous experience with the e-tron:

The e-tron does a lot of basic things very well. It is easy to get in and out of because the seats sit at the perfect height and the door openings are nicely squared off. Passengers will enjoy abundant room, and the driver gets the bonus of a great driving position and an unobstructed view.

The controls, on the other hand, are a mixed bag. The drive mode shifter is unique but took some getting used to, while many of the smaller buttons work fine. But the infotainment and climate control systems rely too heavily on touchscreen interfaces. They look stunning but are overly complex.

We expect our interior experience to be by and large the same in the new car, though we'll likely still lament some of the scratchier plastics.

Q8 e-tron's range and charge times

Range is a big area of improvement for the Q8 e-tron. With competitors all offering EV SUVs that handily crack the 300-mile barrier, Audi had a clear target to hit. For context, the current e-tron serves up a 222-mile EPA-estimated range for the standard SUV and 218 miles in Sportback form. In our real-world range testing, however, the e-tron managed 248 miles in the standard SUV body style and 238 miles in its more coupe-like Sportback version.

While we don't have official EPA estimates yet, the new Q8 e-tron has undergone testing in Europe. Under the slightly more lenient WLTP testing procedures, the Q8 e-tron has managed to handily beat its predecessor. The base Q8 50 e-tron model has been rated at 491 kilometers (305 miles) for the standard SUV and 505 km (314 miles) for the Sportback model.

Q8 55 e-tron models are rated at 582 km (351 miles) for the SUV shape and 600 km (372 miles) in Sportback guise. The top-spec SQ8 e-tron trims will, naturally, have less range because of their power outputs, with ratings of 494 km (306 miles) for the SUV and 513 km (305 miles) for the Sportback.

Range figures out of the way, it's also worth mentioning that the new Q8 e-tron not only goes farther but charges faster than its predecessor. Audi says that, under ideal conditions, the Q8 55 e-tron and SQ8 e-tron will be able to charge at up to 170 kW at a DC fast-charging station and can fill from 10% to 80% capacity in roughly 31 minutes. Models with the smaller battery pack will have fast-charging capability up to 150 kW, the same as the previous e-tron.

Edmunds says

There's still a chance some of these specs change when the Q8 e-tron is certified for the U.S. market, but it's looking like a big improvement over the previous car.