2019 Audi e-tron 55 | Full Review

[@DavidKent0407]

I currently own four Audis and I'm looking for an EV as my next vehicle. I think the Audi e-tron is good looking, beautifully built, quiet and refined. If I only ever drove around town and didn't do any long road trips it would be on my short list. However, there is a practical problem. If I compare it to the current Tesla Model X long range (which you fail to even mention as an obvious competitor) it is smaller inside, about 200kg heavier, less efficient and doesn't have as good a range. I live in Christchurch and have a holiday home at Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown. It is about 468-469km away and I drive there 4-6 times a year. In either a Tesla Model X or Model S I'd only have to stop at the Tesla Supercharger in Omarama somewhere between 5 to 15 minutes. It is less time that I would normally stop during a 5 and a half hour drive. If I bought an Audi e-tron then according to the www.abetterrouteplanner.com website I would have to stop and charge for 53 minutes. A Jaguar I-Pace would also require more than 50 minutes of charging during the journey. NZ Autocar should consider this as owners of expensive family vehicles like this do go on road trips. The faster charging in NZ of the Tesla Supercharger network and greater driving range of a Tesla appears to me to be a major practical advantage of that polarising American brand.

[@NZAutocar]

We haven't had a meaningful drive of the Model X, so we can't really add any informed comments there. An interesting predicament you have though,and great point about the charging infrastructure - Tesla is definitely ahead in terms of the power output their charge points offer. We're lucky that we have any decent charging infrastructure at all, if it wasn't for ChargeNet, there probably wouldn't be many fast-charge options out there. As EV batteries continue to get bigger this network is clearly going to require upgrading. Most charge times for European EVs are now being quoted using 100 or even 150kwh chargers - of which there are none available (yet) for non-Tesla models. Perhaps another vehicle to consider would be the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 - it has more quoted range than the I-Pace and e-tron, but less than the Model X. We'll be reviewing this soon.

[@DavidKent0407]

@@NZAutocar When are you going to road test the Tesla Model 3?

[@NZAutocar]

@@DavidKent0407 We've tried to arrange one, but unlike every other car company we deal with, Tesla would not provide us with full insurance for test a drive.

[@DavidKent0407]

@@NZAutocar That's a shame when it is now the biggest selling electric new car. How do other car magazines get on with this in Australia, UK or USA?