Audi is quite new to the electric car game. The first production EV the company ever built was the E-Tron SUV, which was launched back in 2019. The company has launched a few more since then, but Audi’s best years (at least where electrification is concerned) are ahead of it.
Audi says it’ll launch another 20 pure-electric vehicles by 2025. By that time, the company also expects for 40% of its sales to stem from electrified vehicles – although it’s worth knowing that Audi classifies both fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles under the same ‘electrified’ banner. What’s more, all new Audis launched after 2026 will be pure electric.
The company’s electrification strategy is in safe hands as Audi has the engineering might of Volkswagen and Porsche to back it up. The Q4 E-Tron is built on the same chassis as the Volkswagen ID.4, while the brand’s flagship E-Tron GT shares its underpinnings with the Porsche Taycan.
All of these are good electric cars, suggesting the joint venture is working well. Collaboration between the three brands will also continue as Audi launches its next-generation electric cars, which stands the company in good stead for the future.
Audi electric cars available in the UK now
Audi Q8 E-Tron
View our full Audi Q8 E-Tron review
The E-Tron was firm’s first-ever electric car and it’s been facelifted into the Audi Q8 E-Tron. The original car was launched in 2019 to rival cars like the Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model X and now it finds itself competing with an ever-increasing number of rivals. It’s an interesting addition to the luxury EV class, offering a 300-mile range and two electric motors bringing four-wheel drive.
It’s a competent electric car. It isn’t as futuristic as the I-Pace or EQC, but it’s well-equipped, comfortable and mind-bendingly fast in a straight line – especially when you opt for the flagship 55 quattro model which has 402hp.
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Audi Q8 E-Tron Sportback
Every manufacturer is doing this lately – and buyers are lapping it up. The Q8 E-Tron Sportback is based on the same chassis as the standard E-Tron, but it has a new coupe-inspired body to give it some extra kerb appeal. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than the standard model but, because it’s slightly more aerodynamic, you can eke a few more miles from its battery before stopping to recharge.
It also has sportier suspension, which means it’s a little sharper to drive than the standard E-Tron (albeit at the expense of ride quality). On the flip side, it’s slightly less practical, with tighter headroom in the back and a lower boot capacity. Still a great electric car, though.
Audi Q4 E-Tron
View our full Audi Q4 E-Tron review
The Q4 E-Tron is Audi’s first attempt at a family electric car. It’s based on the same platform as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq and, thanks to this parts sharing, it’s a much more affordable proposition than the original E-Tron. Prices for the Q4 E-Tron start from around £44,000, compared to £62,000 for the larger SUV. Despite this, we think it’s still quite stingily equipped.
You have a lot of powertrain options to choose from. But, if you value range over all else, you’ll need the rear-wheel drive Q4 E-Tron 40 which offers a maximum range of more than 300 miles. If you’re happy to sacrifice a bit of range and stump up some extra cash, you can also have the 50 variant, which adds an extra motor on the front axle to boost power from 204hp to 299hp.
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Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback
View our full Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback review
The coupe-SUV formula worked well for E-Tron SUV, so Audi pulled the same trick with the Q4. It’s as good to drive as the standard Q4 and has the same level of standard equipment. Somehow, though, the more rakish Q4 e-tron Sportback can also carry more than the standard SUV. Its boot has a 535-litre capacity, compared to 520 litres in the standard car.
Like the E-Tron Sportback, the Q4 E-Tron Sportback has a slightly better range than its SUV-shaped sibling. Audi claims you can extract an extra six miles from the Sportback, which has a maximum range of 320 miles. Charge times are also suitably rapid – connect the car to a 125kW DC charger and it’ll take on 80 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
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Audi E-Tron GT
View our full Audi E-Tron GT review
The E-Tron GT is the most expensive car in Audi’s current electric line-up. It’s supposed to be a long-legged tourer, but the most efficient model in the range can only cover 295 miles before needing to be recharged. Despite that, it’s still a very impressive car with rapid acceleration and surprisingly composed handling, thanks in equal measure to its low centre of gravity and clever air suspension.
Audi also got the E-Tron GT’s interior spot on, fitting a pair of crisp screens and ditching its now customary climate control touch panel for traditional physical switches. The seats are great, too, managing to be both comfortable on the motorway and supportive when driving hard.
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Audi electric cars worth waiting for
Audi A6 E-Tron
The Audi A6 E-Tron will make its debut in 2023, becoming a new rival for the Tesla Model S and the upcoming BMW i5. Officially, the car is just a concept, but Audi is already testing development cars ahead of the production model’s launch.
The concept has been previewed as a fastback and an estate – and both are fitted with a dual-motor electric powertrain churning out 469hp and 800Nm of torque. The motors are fed by a 100kWh battery pack which Audi says can store enough charge for a maximum range of 435 miles.
Audi Q6 E-Tron
Later this year, Audi will unveil another pure-electric SUV called the Q6 E-Tron. It’ll be based on the same platform as the upcoming electric replacement for the Porsche Macan and will be pitched as a fresh rival for the likes of the BMW iX, Tesla Model Y and Nissan Ariya.
Audi hasn’t confirmed how much range the new Q6 will have, but we expect it’ll feature similar battery technology to the A6 E-Tron. However, given the car’s less aerodynamic shape, we expect its maximum range will drop to below 400 miles. Our sister site CAR Magazine provided us with the above image, and you can learn more about the new Q6 E-Tron by following this link.
Audi R8
Audi has already confirmed that, when the current V10-engined R8 is pulled from the showrooms in 2023, it’ll be replaced by a battery-powered successor. It’ll give the brand a rival for the growing range of electric hypercars, such as the Lotus Evija, Deus Vayenne and Tesla Roadster.
The company gave us an idea of how its R8 replacement might look with the PB18 E-Tron concept (which was later renamed the AI:Race concept) at the 2018 Monterey Car Week. We expect the shooting brake rear end will be ditched for the eventual production model, but the front-end styling and mid-mounted battery layout might make their way onto the finished car. You can learn more about the concept on our sister site, CAR Magazine.
