e-tron battery '21 vs '24
 

We have a 2021 Etron and are trying to decide whether or not to get the 2024 Q8 etron... I drove the Q8 and feel it is almost the same car inside so they only reason I'd upgrade is if there was a huge difference in the battery range. Obviously any articles say it's better but does anyone have any other insight? On a "perfect" weather day my 100% charge is about 265 miles and they advertise the 2024 as 275 so that doesn't seem to be much different but as we know it's not really 265 miles.

I got a real world difference of 60 miles when I tested the '24 vs my '21. The test was mostly on the freeway at 80mph, so your mileage may vary depending on where/how you drive, but I have a very heavy foot and I was pleasantly surprised. I have no idea how you get 265 miles on a '21 with stated range of 222....I get about 180-190....but maybe that will translate over to the '24.

Thanks so much, that is definitely helpful. now you have me questioning my 265 but I really thought on a nice summer day that's what the 100% charge was although it would quickly drop...so either way it was never that number. I really go by battery percent and not the miles - much more accurate.

Assume about a 20% range bump in all circumstances. '24 also has different steering and suspension setup, though I'd say just different - not better necessarily. I routinely see 210-225 miles indicated range at 80% SOC. Last summer I saw more than 300 miles indicated on 100% SOC.
FWIW I thought my '21 was quieter, the '24 has more niggling little clicks, squeaks and rattles though not a huge difference. That might be more normal unit variation not related to MY. Maybe my '24 was built on Friday.

I picked up a Q8 Sportback in July, 2023, when my 2019 Quattro etron lease expired. Back in July the car seemed to be getting close to the 295mi EPA rated for the Sportback. A big improvement over my 2019 211mi. The battery in the Q8 is bigger than in the Quattro, but you can fill it up to match your 2021 range in about the same amount of time. Taking it to 80% takes about 10 more minute. The Plug and Charge at EA is great! In going from mid-70's F in July to low-40's F January here in the PNW, my range has dropped about 15%. The battery in the Q8 is lower in Cobalt and I have the impression that the range is a little more sensitive to temperature than the Quattro, but not overly so. I'm very pleased with the upgrades. Unlike rdgrimes, I really like much more the tighter steering and handling (much better cornering) in the Q8.

I would agree with this.

I went from a 2019 (software upgraded of course) to a 2024 e-tron as well. Range increase is a solid 23-25%. Battery capacity is 23%, so that is just "there". There is apparently 7% efficiency increase as well, but I would say that so far my experience is that this is around 4 - 5% in day to day driving.

I also agree that the tweaked steering dynamics are an improvement: it's not a BMW, but it's definitely very much a "nice to have".

I have had my 2024 for 6 months now: I suspect that I'll agree with JNealCox regarding battery composition once I've had more time in the car. It does seem to charger slightly slower than my 2019 e-tron, but I haven't had the change to DC fast charge it in the summer - only in winter temps at freezing or below.

Edit: One thing I forgot to add.

To me, the effective range update isn't 25% or so percent. It's closer to 30, 35 or even 40%. That's because, I never try to drive my cars to zero. So, if the goal was to always get home with say 60km (40miles) of range left on the car, then that's really the safety buffer and not part of the day to day usage profile. So, really that meant that my 2019 e-tron had 180 useable miles. if you take the EPA from the 2024 e-tron and subtract the same 40 miles, you get 245 useable miles. Now you're talking a major upgrade in day to day useable range: from 180 to 245: a 36% increase in range. This is totally noticeable and it shows up in my charging habits as well. With my 2019, I ALWAYS charged it to 90% - every evening. Now, if I'm just driving around town, I'll skip a day or two of home charging. I regularly do a trip where in the MY2019 e-tron, I needed to plan for a DC charging stop during that trip. With the MY2024, I rarely stop to DC change now. These are the big improvements with the 2024 in terms of day to day ownership and driving.

not personal experience, but the guys on youtube at Out of Spec Motoring did a comparison and the real takeaway is that with the chemistry change in the battery you trade range for charging time. the 2019-2022 e-tron can't be beat for fast charging curve, the 2024 Q8 though is a bit more efficient / bit slower overall charging curve.

I don't road trip every day, so for me the time between charging is better trade off. However if you only fast charge, think it was about ~10m more with the change in speed and slightly increased capacity.

They own a 2019 Prestige. Did a bunch of comparisons to a test Q8:

I own both models. Can confirm range improvement on the Q8. I don't spend much time with numbers but it is definitely an improvement. The vehicles are virtually the same other than the handling noted previously. Noticeable "shrinkflation" on Q8. No soft-closing doors. No air perfumes. Upside of Q8 - lighted seat belt connections. Sensor for foot wave rear hatch more sensitive.

Obviously love the vehicle.

My Q8 Prestige has soft-close doores.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Q8's new battery is a lot more temperature sensitive. In the cold, it mostly hangs at 100kW and peaks to 130kW. The original e-tron would still start a bit slow in the cold, but it would still get up to 150kW no problem.

This is what I have seen so far as well. Will be interesting to see what happens as the temps rise in the spring / summer.

It might be market dependent. My 2019 had them, but they were not listed as an option in Canada last year for the 2024s.

Canada / USA spec differences.

we had a 21 and got 190-200 range and just got a 24 due to the higher range. We’re only getting 200-220. Disappointing bump in range given the stated range.

You can't make statements about the approx range unless you state what kind of ambient temperatures you are talking about. I had a 2019 etron quattro and now have a Q8 etron.sportback. In summer when the temps are in the low 80s, my 2019 would reach close to 210 and 295 mi , respectively, close to the EPA values. While I find the max range for the Q8 is significantly greater, I think it is more sensitive to temperature (lower cobalt chemistry). Now, in Feb, with temps in the 40's, the est range for the Q8 has dropped to about 250mi. Under similar conditions, the 2019 would drop to about 195 mi. ( note that the Q8 SUV has an EPA of 285mi, while my Sportback has 295mi).. So, be sure you are comparing the cars under similar ambient temp conditions.

I have a 2024 Q8 etron Fastback. Range problem from day one. Dealer says they have checked and the battery is within Audi spec. 80% charge gives 179 mls and 100% - 224 mls.. Would love to hear 80 & 100%range achieved by other 2024 Q8 owners.

What size wheels are your running/temps? My Q8 on 21" wheels shows 209/87% which is 240 miles calculated for mixed highway/city driving. Have seen 280 if driving on back roads ~45mph. What speeds are you traveling?

I have a Q8 etron sportback. Been in the 30s/40sF here for the past few months and my reported range at 80% has been in the upper 190's. Temps are starting to warm into the 60s and my range is creeping up to 210 at 80%.. I've had my car since July 2023 and over that timeframe I find the cars range will drop by 14% going from the 80s/90s to the 30s/40s. Your reported numbers do seem low.

Aside from the usual drop in cold temps this past winter, I've seen this type of result since May '23 delivery. Non-Sportback, 20 inch wheels, standard tire pressures, Efficiency mode. Most of my driving is suburban, some 60 mph, some town. I believe when I charged to 80% yesterday it showed 290. Just like EPA for ICE, results do vary amongst drivers.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...d5fe6bfaf4.jpg

If you are actually getting that range at those SoC levels, you have the most efficient etron ever made; a true Unicorn.

I certainly know I'm an outlier, but its anniversary is May 17, Long term Driving Data in the app shows 3.0 mi/kWh over the last 2895 miles since reset. Winter I was seeing 2.5-2.7, now 3.2 or higher. Local driving, no real long trips, coasting when possible (thanks to early learning by reading JNealCox posts), automatic regeneration. For comparison on my driving routine and location, the Q5 gets 25-27 mpg.

Hi Jim!

Do you have 20" or 21" wheels? I recently turned in my '21 (20" wheels) and leased '24 Q8 with 21" wheels. I see less efficiency with the '24 compared to '21 but still has better range because of larger battery capacity. I thought it might be related to wheel size.

I have 22" wheels and mainly drive locally - some town and some country roads. I only get around 2.0-2.1 mls/kWh. Max normal range is about 230 ish if I charge to 100% - recommended by dealership. When charged to Audi recommended 80% the range drops to 179 miles.

interesting... I was just going to go look up what the range is for the newer models... Was wondering if they'd hit 300 miles yet.

Just back yesterday from a road trip from the Jacksonville FL area to the Wilmington NC area... approx 471 miles if direct with no stops.
I've made the trip a few times before in the Audi, but this time I hemmed and hawed about taking my '19 etron vs my wife's Nissan Rogue. Audi is much more comfortable of course, but the Nissan has much longer legs. It could theoretically just about make it in one tank. This was a short-winded trip, and even though the charger infrastructure is much better than it used to be along this route, and charging doesn't add a HUGE difference in trip time, it does add a little time to the calculus, and more than that it restricts options of where I may choose to stop...for food and such.
Given that the last road trip I took, I had a) a scare with reduced guess-o-meter range drop and b) had my first experiences with crowding and significant wait times for chargers, this wasn't too hard of a choice.

I opted for the Nissan, and while on the trip, I concluded that an EV with a range of about 320 miles or better seems to be the sweet spot for me now. I used to think that while the 200-ish is ok, that maybe 250 or so would be enough. Having the options to stretch the legs between fuel-ups though is nice.

no, he has the most efficient right foot :D unlike some others here. 20 inch wheels also help for sure...q8 etron with 20 inch wheels can get over 300 miles of range when you know how to drive it

I've been on that route with a '21 etron multiple times from central Florida to Delaware shore area. I found Pooler & Florence stops to be avoided. Last year traded the '21 for the Q8 which gets an additional 50-60 miles of range on the highway.[245] With the extra range I was able to plan my stops to alternate chargers which are not so crowded. Seems as times go on the likelyhood of running into crowding or equipment problems is getting worst. I am considering renting a Tesla from Hertz for road trips to try their SuC network. Eventually Audi may be able to use the Tesla SuC Network so stopping at their larger stations may be a better alternative to EA & EVgo.

Yes, but not on the freeway and only if you're willing to run it down to 0%. The Q8 battery is 20% larger so it offers 20% more range.

In doing your planning, just be aware that, as Tesla owners have found, Teslas generally have a full SOC that is 30% below the stated EPA value and the Tesla GOM is not nearly as good as that of the etron.