A round-trip drive to Baguio City from Mandaluyong covers about 520 kilometers. For owners of electric vehicles, these are the figures they need to consider should they intend to do a short jaunt to the country's summer capital to enjoy its fresh and chilly mountain weather as well as excellent dining experiences.

Whether on EVs or on their fuel-burning counterparts, motorists going to Baguio is a litmus test. The four- to five-hour-long trip will test one's alertness while driving for a long period of time.

The serpentine road going to the country's Summer Capital that starts from the town of Tuba in Benguet, will test your confidence in negotiating hairpin bends — not to mention overtaking slow-moving cargo trucks.

Long mountain climbs and traffic-free highway driving shorten an EV's driving range (much like how stop-and-go traffic worsens fuel economy of gasoline-burning vehicles) since regenerative braking is seldom engaged, but it's a different story once it is utilized.

Regenerative braking directs energy, normally lost through braking, back into the battery. That is why EV owners love stop-and-go traffic and driving down mountains when the act of braking is often used, recharging the vehicle's battery.

With all these to consider, Audi Philippines decided to put its P7.25-million all-electric Audi Q8 e-tron 55 SUV to a test by driving to Baguio and back to its headquarters in EDSA (Greenhills), Mandaluyong City.

The company claims that this is the first 100-percent electric vehicle in the Philippines to attempt and complete such a feat.

Audi Philippines never doubted the efficiency and capability of the Q8 e-tron 55 SUV as it has an excellent driving range of over 500 kilometers (on a single charge).

Equipped with two electric motors, the Q8 e-tron reinterprets Audi's legendary quattro all-wheel drive system. Output is rated at 408 horsepower and torque at 664 Nm, letting the vehicle accelerate from a standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 200 km/hour.

Four passengers

With four people on board, the Q8 e-tron 55 SUV started the day-long drive from the Audi Greenhills dealership on EDSA, Mandaluyong City, with a fully charged battery. The vehicle cruised through EDSA and entered NLEx with its drive mode set in "Efficiency", and with the air-conditioning on.

Upon reaching SCTEx, the Q8 e-tron registered 85 percent of charge left, with 382 km of range available. On the open stretches of TPLEx, Audi's flagship electric SUV soaked every road imperfection, thanks to its air suspension. "Range" drive mode proved most suitable in this condition, keeping the ride comfortable while also aiding energy consumption.

The Q8 e-tron offers several driving modes, each one suited to a particular condition or on a driver's preference. The modes alter power delivery, suspension settings, ride heights, and other factors, like reducing energy allotted for convenience features.

Past the expressways and onto the national highway, the Q8 e-tron faced the most challenging part of the trip: The uphill drive on Marcos Highway going to Baguio.

Hard acceleration and uphill drives are especially demanding on an EV's battery, not stop-and-go traffic. So, expectedly, this stretch of mostly inclined sections required considerable energy. But upon arriving at Camp John Hay, the Q8 e-tron still had 40 percent charge left after traveling a distance of 263km.

Additional 97 km

On the descent from Baguio City, the Q8 e-tron's recuperation function came into play. The system harnessed kinetic energy as it helped decelerate the vehicle going downhill, turning this energy into electrical charge stored in the battery. And because the Q8 e-tron more often relies on recuperation rather than on its disc brakes, the vehicle added energy to its battery upon reaching the flatlands.

From the available 124 km of range when it left Baguio, the Q8 e-tron registered a 221-kilometer range as it made its way back to the expressways — an additional 97 km added thanks to the recuperation function.

Since the debut of the 100-percent electric e-tron range, shopping mall groups, energy companies and property developers have started rolling out destination chargers that support the residential and mobile charging solutions provided by Audi Philippines.

Some of these destination chargers are already available in various locations in Baguio, giving EV owners visiting Baguio peace of mind. Additionally, a service station at TPLEx is equipped with both AC and DC charging facilities suitable for the Q8 e-tron.

However, none of these convenient options were availed of by the Q8 e-tron team considering the vehicle still had 40 percent charge left, which means it could still drive for over 200 km. Recharging was not necessary for this particular journey.

Upon reaching Audi Greenhills, which signaled the end of the Q8 e-tron's journey, the vehicle had covered a total distance of 525 km and still had charge to spare. This proves the real-world driving range of the Q8 e-tron, and sets the benchmark for full electric vehicles.

The achievement shatters misconceptions about EVs, addressing "range anxiety" among users while also reinforcing the Q8 e-tron models' ample capacity to be driven daily under real-world conditions — with zero emissions, at that.

"While combining luxurious features, everyday usability and thrilling performance, the Audi Q8 e-tron models also offer a long driving range," said Audi Philippines managing director Gian Paolo Brambilla.

"With a fully charged battery, these 100-percent electric vehicles are capable of traveling more than 500 km. So we are confident owners can comfortably drive their Q8 e-tron to Baguio and back to Metro Manila. These models are ideal for both city driving and out-of-town trips."