Q8 PHEV announced

It’s the best of both worlds and adds another significant model to the growing number of Audis featuring electric derive. Announced in Europe, the Q8 55 TFSI e quattro (output of 280kW) and the Q8 60 TFSI e quattro (340kW output) combine the strengths of both a 3.0-litre TFSI combustion engine and an electric motor to offer owners a large, luxurious SUV capable of up to 59km of purely electric range and the backup of a powerful TFSI engine for long distance journeys.

The Q8 TFSI e quattro is the seventh model from Audi with plug-in hybrid drive released since mid-2019 and adds to the brand’s growing number of both fully electric and hybrid electric models as part of its e-offensive. 

The electric motor and the 3.0 TFSI transmit their forces to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, while an electric oil pump ensures the supply even when the V6 engine is deactivated. 

Power goes down to the road via Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system which uses a centre differential with purely mechanical regulation. During normal driving operation, it distributes 40 percent of the torque to the front axle and 60 percent to the rear, but if needed, it can direct the larger share of power to the axle with better traction. Up to 85 percent can be distributed to the front axle and up to 70 percent to the rear axle. 

The compact electric motor is integrated in the housing of the eight-speed tiptronic. Together with the coupling, which connects the 3.0 TFSI to the drivetrain, it forms what is known as the hybrid module. The lithium-ion battery is installed under the luggage compartment and has an energy capacity of 17.8kWh. 

The Q8 60 TFSI e quattro achieves a system output of 340kW and torque of 700Nm, dispatching the sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.4 seconds when both drives are working in tandem. The top speed is governed to 240km/h and the Q8 60 TFSI e quattro can reach 135km/h on purely electric power. 

The Q8 55 TFSI e quattro outputs 280kW and 600Nm and reaches 100km/h from rest in 5.8 seconds, while sharing the same top speed and top electric speed. 

The Q8 60 TFSI e quattro is capable of purely electric range of 56 kilometres in the NEDC and up to 45 kilometres in the WLTP cycle, while the 55 TFSI e quattro boasts up to 59 kilometres in there NEDC and uo to 47 ,kilometres in the WLTP.

The hybrid management of the Audi Q8 TFSI e quattro choses the optimum operating system for each journey automatically with the Q8 e quattro starting in electric ‘EV’ mode. The petrol engine is activated only when the driver pushes the accelerator beyond a specific level of resistance. But if the driver wants to drive on electric power as much as possible, they can select ‘EV’ mode in the central MMI display. 

The Q8 e-quattro also offers Auto, Hold and Charge modes which selects the most efficient drive for any given situation. In ‘Charge’ mode for example, the aim is to charge up the battery as far as possible while driving, which makes sense when the journey ends in an urban area and the last kilometres are to be covered on purely electric power. 

In ‘Hold’ mode, the operating system keeps the battery’s existing state of charge at the current level, while in ‘Auto’ the hybrid system selects the optimum drive type automatically – fully electric at low speeds, the TFSI engine at higher speeds, and often a combination of the two. 

The Audi Q8 TFSI e quattro can regain up to 25kW of power just by coasting and also achieves up to 80kW of recuperation power while braking. 

The standard Audi drive select system in the Q8 e quitter comes with up to seven driver profiles – comfort, efficiency, auto, dynamic, individual, offroad, and allroad (with adaptive air suspension sport optioned). Accommodation side the hybrid Q8 is also generous, with room for five adults and luggage capacity of 505 litres or 1625 litres with the read seats folded flat. 

With its charging cable for household and industrial power sockets as standard, an empty battery can be fully charged in around two-and-a-half hours, and customers can use the myAudi app to check the battery and range status, start the charging process at home, program the charge timer, and view the charge and consumption statistics. The myAudi app can also be used to set the pre-entry climate control of the interior before starting the journey. Depending on the equipment, the steering wheel and seat heating as well as the seat ventilation can be activated. 

The new Audi Q8 e quattro will commence resales in European markets shortly, evaluation of the model for Australian introduction was still underway at time of writing.