Daily Tribune‘Our battery electric vehicles are designed not just to be a showcase of technology and premium features intrinsic to Audi, but also as evidence that we have gone leaps and bounds in developing our batteries and the way the vehicles use them and manage charge’
ELECTRIFIED Audi Q8 e-tron 55 on the ready.
photographS courtesy of Audi Philippines
Beauty and comfort within: The interiors spell comfort.
It got drive The Audi Q8 e-tron 55 is powered by a dual electric motor setup boasting quattro all-wheel drive.
The 100 percent electric Audi Q8 55 e-tron recently added another feather to its cap — flexing its range by making the trip from Manila to Bicol on a single charge, with power to spare.
Following a roundtrip feat to Baguio (the first battery electric vehicle or BEV to do so) last year where it logged a total of 525 kilometers — returning to Manila with 4 percent charge remaining — this Audi deftly mustered the trip from Manila to Bicol, covering 480 kilometers over a 12-hour journey with a hefty 12 percent charge still left in its battery.
The Audi Q8 e-tron 55 is powered by a dual electric motor setup boasting quattro all-wheel drive. Power on tap is 408hp, and torque is rated at 664Nm — the latter available almost instantaneously due to its all-electric nature. It allows for a standstill-to-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds — onward to a top rate of 200 km/h.
“With this new achievement, we continue to show that range anxiety is now a concern of the past,” said Audi Philippines managing director Gian Paolo Brambilla. “Our battery electric vehicles are designed not just to be a showcase of technology and premium features intrinsic to Audi, but also as evidence that we have gone leaps and bounds in developing our batteries and the way the vehicles use them and manage charge.”
Driving four hours over a distance of 146 kilometers from the Audi Philippines showroom in Greenhills to Atimonan, then onto the Gumaca Coastal Road, the Audi Q8 e-tron 55’s charge went down by only 27 percent — from 100 percent to 73 percent. Four people were onboard the vehicle, whose air-conditioning was on, and with the driving mode set to Efficiency. When the BEV reached SM Naga, the occupants made another stop for lunch. The party had traveled 378 kilometers by this time, and 29 percent charge was still left in the battery.
It’s important to note that the real-time indicated range on the vehicle is a conservative estimate of its maximum potential. The actual distance usually extends longer, particularly since the Q8 e-tron features a robust energy recuperation function that harnesses kinetic energy when, for instance, the vehicle decelerates while going downhill. The vehicle’s system converts the energy into electricity, which then goes back into the battery to augment its charge.
Setting off for the scenic Camalig bypass with a breathtaking view of Mount Mayon, the Q8 e-tron steadily performed under the scorching sun until the group reached its final destination in Legazpi, with 12 percent of power left. There, the vehicle was charged at the EV charging station in SM Legazpi.
The next day, with a fully charged battery, the SUV set off for several stops to take some beauty shots — first at the Quituinan Hills in Camalig, Albay, then onto the historic Cagsawa Ruins and Embarcadero in Legazpi.
With a published range of up to 582 kilometers, the Audi Q8 e-tron 55 gets a Black Apperance package, 2D-look Audi rings in Polar White, and a blacked-out Audi Singleframe grille — fringed by Digital Matrix LED headlamps with washers. This Q8’s rear combination lamps are also LEDs.
The power-adjustable and power-folding exterior mirrors have a memory feature, and are auto-dimming. The Q8 e-tron 55 rolls on 21-inch cast-aluminum wheels in five-arm Aero style in Graphite Gray, Diamond-Turned hue.
Inside, the vehicle gets the Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus high-resolution color driver information display, MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch Response, a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with 3D Sound, ambient LED lighting, four-zone climate control system, an air quality package, panoramic sunroof, and more.
“This skill set and complement of features clearly show why the Audi Q8 e-tron is our flagship BEV model,” Brambilla added. “Even as we pleasantly note that electric vehicle charging infrastructure is steadily rolling out in various parts of the country to ease the transition into battery electric vehicles, Audi e-tron vehicles already have the technology and battery to help ease range anxiety among customers who are still contemplating about going electric. We fully stand behind the Audi e-tron line’s abilities and values, and continue to believe that this shows that the future of mobility is electric, and that it is here today.”
For more information contact Audi Philippines at +639178361379.
