Audi RS e-tron GT real-world review plus why fast chargers are essential to the success of EV

[@tonypammen6150]

The use of touchscreen controls in a lot of cars is really annoying and not very safe I don’t think, I’m with you Harry I prefer buttons or control knobs .

[@bentullett6068]

I like conventional button design interiors as well. I saw a comment on drivetribe app by a guy who thought the Tesla interior was superior as it was minimalist and everything being controlled on the touchscreen was the best way to go, everytime I see someone driving a Tesla I notice that they are constantly looking at the screen trying to adjust everything. The big screen thing is essentially a giant smartphone but on the dashboard.

[@mercury6765]

@@bentullett6068 it’s madness. Using a smartphone behind the wheel is illegal, yet using a giant tablet on the dashboard is perfectly fine... Hopefully some legislation mandates the use of physical controls for HVAC and the like.

[@QueenDaenerysTargaryen]

Yes, it is very distracting

[@xxxDeaDLocKxxx]

I agree but the future is clear - screens are modular, cheaper and way more flexible. Eventually there will be no buttons. Note that in my Tesla, the absence of buttons at first was a concern, but it’s completely mitigated by good voice recognition control. And if you’re being anal about safety, voice control is way safer than physical buttons so it can only be a good thing… right? ;)

[@kimchipig]

There is one reason for it: it's cheaper.

[@adrianrowden8266]

Good to hear Harry stopping off at the gym for the right reasons. Coffee and snacks.

[@magnetoone2995]

😆

[@blairbrown4812]

And "fuel," of course.

[@andysedgley]

They had a new machine in at my local gym, half an hour on it and I was sick as a dog! It did everything - Mars, Twix, Snickers, Wispa...

[@papajohn4071]

🤣

[@damianlee4822]

Harry's one of the few presenters out there that's able to make electric car review interesting

[@OriginalPuro]

Carwow.

[@vaughnsigal4560]

An estate version of the e-tron GT would be the first ev that's actually caught my attention. The styling, engineering, and the interior are all spot on

[@josoap8781]

I’m a real petrolhead, but I’d be happy enough to have an EV as my main car. However, the price, range anxiety and potential time wasting for charging make it a complete no-no until battery technology and the charging networks are far better.

[@Spartan168]

it couldn't be your only car. but for something to go to work and back, run a few errands. You'd start every day with a full charge

[@masturdate]

@@Spartan168 exactly why we got a Leaf for that. For longer journeys we have a diesel Volvo.

[@0Turbox]

@@masturdate Why buying an extra car? If you do a longer trip, you can rent a petrol car any day.

[@maxflight777]

Jo , great post but: my MY does 540km range and 0-60 (4.2 seconds) faster than a base (£95K ) Porsche 911….. what are you waiting for?

[@DescartesRenegade]

You take 200mi road trips everyday? You don't have functioning electricity in your garage overnight?

[@examinerian]

Audi: it's electric, we'll shrink the grille BMW: Was ist dieses Wort "shrink"? Vorsprung durch Kühlergrillvergrößerung!

[@alanwayte432]

So much nonsense spoken about BMW Grill, Audi and particularly Lexus have massive grill

[@jonlyons1033]

@@alanwayte432 that doesn't detract from his point in the slightest. 😂

[@dragospahontu]

@@alanwayte432 Lexus at least makes an effort and tries to make it look cool

[@pipimontana]

Zum Speiben sind sie alle...

[@gplusgplus2286]

lolllllll

[@cutdepiefails6596]

P.S. 12 pounds for 80 miles is quite bad. Premium petrol levels of cost.

[@The89thAnarchist]

That’s really expensive

[@SW-by9ob]

That's an occasional cost. Do most of your charging at home on an average tariff and it's < £3.

[@s.kxx1956]

Was just thinking that, i get about 100 ish miles for £10 of diesel

[@otm646]

@@SW-by9ob it might be an occasional cost, but people like to road trip even in Europe. They don't want to have to pay a higher cost per mile when they are away from their homes in their brand new vehicle. In the States the power is much more affordable, it works out to about the cost of an ICE midsize economy car per mile when on the supercharger network.

[@cutdepiefails6596]

@@otm646 Cheap small Ev for the daily runner. ICE for the family car.

[@sheumais63]

"Whether you like it or not". There lies the problem, it should be a choice. It's not a practical solution for most people, on cost alone, and nor is life without a car.

[@thetessellater9163]

A neighbour has sold on their EV and gone back to a conventional ICE (Audi!) ; for reasons of practicality, I believe, it wasn't for them! Charging time and range probably.

[@stevefinch2839]

@@thetessellater9163 the real range and claimed range seem very different its the network not the car that's the practicality problem 2 chargers where I currently live a town of 30k .....

[@mmdirtyworkz]

Exactly.

[@jonbrown6352]

We can still keep our old ICE cars.

[@skavihekkora5039]

The choice makers took their bribe from useless wind turbine industry so the choice have been made and you can only obey or start organizing armored uprising. Or emigrate and wait the f*rs out, but in the meantime theyll ruin everything, like the lefties always do.

[@helenforeman5219]

You also need to add the cost of coffee’s and snacks when you are charging 🤣. Makes a recharge a lot more expensive

[@faustusTVR]

Plus the cost of your own time.

[@duncanidaho7494]

Time time time

[@brianiswrong]

And I can't see any drinks or food within a quick walk of a charge point being cheap.

[@gaccutler9526]

... and the family :)

[@anthropicandroid4494]

This exactly; we would take our 500e all over San Francisco, but wound up eating only at places near the precious few charging stations.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

Being a Finn I can't help but wonder how you're supposed to keep those radar sensors etc. clean during the winter.

[@paulaus]

I think they have washers like the headlights.

[@stephanprotzen6030]

Good question. I recently went on a ski trip with a friend that had a new Ford truck. Snowy roads and it blared at us the whole way as the sensors got covered with snow and ice and it couldn’t figure out we weren’t going to back into anyone.

[@Guuggel]

Atleast some cars have heated radars so the snow melts off them. Doesn't clean dirt tho

[@PL-fh8cz]

I'm Canadian and I get your point. I have auto wipers on my car and flying snow makes them work overtime even when no snow lands on the windshield.

[@tuppid2463]

What was the range Harry when you drove it enthusiastically, my experience is it drops like a stone. If you don’t drive a car like this that way what’s the point in paying for all that BHP.

[@maxnicholls7254]

So whats the etiquette when you turn up at your friends to stay for the weekend and ask if you can plug your car in? I've never asked for a jerry of petrol

[@SDK2006b]

Your friends live 240 miles away? If so, then you re-charge on route 💡

[@jonjohnson4981]

You never plugged your phone at your friends' place? Just say you need to charge your phone. And the wall adapter is the thing parked outside with "AUDI" written on it.

[@Thb202]

Send them a few quid? We've done a few UK trips in our Model X, accommodation owners were more than happy to let us plug in after offering a little money to cover electricity

[@autumnleaf2976]

What if both you and the friend you are visiting happens to own an EV? "Hey friend, I know your car is on charge, but I want to charge my car as well. Can you kindly unplug yours so that I can connect mine to the source? Thank you."

[@pistonburner6448]

I just do a "Terminator 2" to them: I walk in naked and say: "I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle."

[@davidgrover2665]

Wind back - when did the new RR join the fleet? 😳

[@cornishrider]

I'd rather have that than that Audi!

[@PalashMehta]

i too was perplexed by "our new RR"

[@ojoimages]

After an ‘extended’ test drive of the X5 PHEV I’m not surprised to see it. I’m intrigued as to the power train???

[@jon81crowe]

I just don’t understand..... one petrol pump can probably do 12 cars an hour. 12 pumps per forecourt and that’s 144 cars per hour. How many fast electric chargers will you need to service uk. 100000?

[@harryspeakup8452]

@@jon81crowe Nothing like as many, because most EVs start every day with a full 'tank' from home charging. And we all know the average car only does an average of about 20 miles a day.

[@anthropicandroid4494]

He's quite right; even in SF, you have about 8-10 charging sites total

[@thetessellater9163]

SF?

[@anthropicandroid4494]

@@thetessellater9163 San Francisco! The city is designed to reject cars entirely; the remaining parking spaces are too valuable to put a charging station in.

[@Miata822]

Charging requires a different way of thinking but it's easy once you get used to it. Just like learning to use a clutch there is a learning curve but then it becomes natural. the key things are to run the battery low before charging, seek out fast chargers (the Audi screen will do that for you), and only charge enough to complete your journey. (see recent carwow etron GT "race" for a demonstration)

[@SamDrives1]

I’d be interested to see a real world review of that PHEV Range Rover

[@paulmcgee1867]

Check out Harry’s video

[@kaigordon2900]

The first shot really gives a feel for the acceleration, in other reviews it is harder to tell with drone shots and morning cinematography, sometimes these realistic, more static camera angles do a car a lot of justice!

[@paultucker1272]

Thank you Audi......this is the first EV that actually appeals to me. I love the fact they haven't followed the Tesla school of interior design, this thing looks superb inside and out. Desirability factor is off the scale. I'm a Ford fan though.....Mustangs in particular and THIS is what the Mach E should have been. A relatively practical, superb looking, great performing car. A car like this could have worn the pony with pride. Not a gawky looking crossover with a Tesla wannbe interior.

[@jstogdill]

Have to use your phone to find chargers? I assumed that would be part of the car’s onboard nav app.

[@ThisIsMTH]

Exactly. It’s not even close to seamless.

[@simonhaycocks]

I thought the same.

[@michaelmeredith912]

Thought the same thing as well. At first I thought he was looking at some notes in a book to fund a change station haha

[@BarryThompsonUK]

My Hyundai Ioniq shows nearest charging station on the screen at all times. Harry was probably using Zapmap or similar, which documents ALL charging points but is a phone app. I'd expect a £135k Audi to have nearest charging on screen, somewhere.

[@jack14kd]

13 quid for 90 miles don't seem that good to me

[@dragospahontu]

Ikr😅

[@minstralmurry7128]

Yeah my 1.6 TD mk 7 Golf with interactive cruise control is 10 p a mile , parts and servicing are so cheap, performance is awesome , why would i ever change whilst deisel is still being sold.

[@dragospahontu]

@@minstralmurry7128 a Renault Zoe would kill that thing. Parts are cheap because it's a Volkswagen but how long do those things last until they fall apart?

[@minstralmurry7128]

Dragos Pahontu Sorry but i maintain my Golf so falling apart is not an issue, its 6 yrs old and like a new car. My point was that my Golf deisel , £20 RFL, 60 mpg , is way chaeper and as comfortable to run than any premium EV when depreciation and running costs are factored in. Glad you like your Zoe , but id stick to a Golf Mk 7 in any kind of motoring situation. As long as you are happy with your Zoe thats great but i know what i prefer to run. each to there own.

[@dragospahontu]

@@minstralmurry7128 it's good that you maintain you're car, not many people care about their car. I don't like this premium EV because it's a blatant rip off. It costs too much for what it is. If I wanted a premium EV the only option is a Tesla at the moment. I highly recommend trying an electric car if you haven't before, it's a really good experience and it is definitely cheaper to run the Zoe if you have a charging station at home.

[@h.google]

Great review, as always, thanks Harry. Ridiculous prices for these Audi cars, don't even want to know what the insurance would cost. Only the very rich can afford this kind of luxury.

[@stubones]

Only the rich will be able to travel in the future.

[@h.google]

@@stubones Petrol and diesel prices have risen exponentially over the past year and I haven't heard any mention of it in the press or media. "They" will freeze petrol and diesel cars out of he market asap but won't have an alternative to electricity and yet there are a couple that could be useful and economic. Have a nice day! 😎

[@TassieLorenzo]

The Dacia Spring will offer a really nice affordable EV! :) 44bhp and 0-62mph "unspecified". A nice sensible EV. I feel like Tesla have led people up the garden path with the idea EVs should be fast luxury products, instead of the more traditional view of EVs being glorified milk floats like the nice sensible Dacia Spring. :)

[@h.google]

@James Doolittle Oh dear, sorry to hear this, hope you're Ok? The buttons work, end of imho. Stay safe 😷

[@Pepy667]

@@TassieLorenzo 0-62 mph - possible under the right circumstances :D

[@oasdfe1691]

£12.97 is a complete rip off for 39 KW when a KW costs about 20.55p. It should have costed £8!!!

[@cmacd8879]

Read up on the concept of rate of return, ie. for the company providing these chargers....

[@HondaExige1]

Man are you in for a shock when you find out how much the ingredients of a Big Mac cost

[@arjanpetersen]

You know how economy works or not...?

[@DiscoFang]

You should see what a cup of coffee costs to make.

[@tealbandit72]

To me that is 40mpg🤔🙂

[@sugarsaint]

I don't know what to make of this, but 80 mile of range for £12 odd is actually more expensive or less range than id get in my petrol car for £12 of 99ron premium Are they serious ?

[@alantownsley6391]

High infrastructure cost and no real competition but that will change. Might even see cheap off peak charging at night in the future.

[@sugarsaint]

@@alantownsley6391 thanks bro, but if Borris is serious about 2030 then surely the infrastructure cost will soar ? 30million odd cars in the UK transfering to electric not including any other form of vehicle, that's a lot of charge points yet to be installed.

[@replay68pete14]

Your not wrong! I was expecting £1.12 or something.

[@matthewschatten7902]

Came looking for this comment before I posted the same thing! A car doing ~39mpg (considered an averagely economical car by today's standards) would be cheaper to run!!

[@CrazedCrittic]

@@alantownsley6391 we get cheap off-peak charging now. EDF gives you 4.5p/kw hour. I can charge my 80kw car for around £3.50 and that gives a 300 mile range. Cheaper still if you also have solar PV.

[@s.kxx1956]

“Well the weather has ‘taycan’ a turn for the worst” Sorry i had just had too !

[@michaelmeredith912]

$130K, I feel V.A.G. Is Taycan us all for a ride….or the early adopters anyway :)

[@procatprocat9647]

Few people like a southerner.

[@faustusTVR]

Worse.

[@trainmanbob]

And I asked the West Country weatherman....Audi justify that?

[@gregcym]

Würst….

[@thetessellater9163]

That last shot of turning right at fair speed really showed the heaviness of the car, I think - all two and a half tons of it! Yes, if I had 130k to spend on a new motor, I might buy one - I'll keep doing the Lotto for now though.

[@duncanmartin2626]

You are one of the few mainstream petrolhead reviewers who give EVs a fair crack of the whip, so thank you for that. It would be really interesting if you were able to talk to the people at Gridserve now that they have taken over the Electric Highway and are throwing up 120kW CCS chargers at services to replace the old 50kW machines (it would also be interesting to see you use one).

[@isambardchisilwitt1232]

If it was 75% cheaper the charge rate was 150% faster and the range 300% better then I'm there.

[@TheJimc101]

Too big and too expensive (unless it's a tax write off?), 5 metres long (and they are wide) mean they don't fit into any normal parking slot, maybe for the US these are fine, but in the UK, the roads are too small, not a problem limited to this one either, all EV's are large, to a point necessitated to the batteries and energy density, but we need smaller vehicles, not oversized ones like this, range isn't really an issue, as by the time BEV's are (much more) common the infra should be there. Interesting about Euro7, although given the number of petrol stations that seem to have been build/rebuild recently with limited to no EV charging capacity, is there something they know we don't? or maybe they are doing their last investment of the ICE era?

[@keefr22]

@Graham "stop population growth" - and that's the real 'elephant in the room' that politicians will never properly tackle (and I do understand why). It's what will really kill the planet in the end and is one of the real drivers of climate change.

[@dodge3048]

It's the same size as an RS6.

[@dodge3048]

@Graham "very expensive and will always be so". Technology gets cheaper as it is developed and becomes more efficient to produce, more reliable and, in turn, more popular. It has always been so.

[@dodge3048]

@@keefr22 100% this. Unfortunately telling people they should stop making babies is guaranteed political suicide so it's unlikely to ever happen in the developed world unless there's a seismic change in popular opinion.

[@bryanfeeney8285]

UK testers (Carwow) have gotten about 220 motorway miles out of a 2019-model Renault Zoe on a full charge. It costs £30K new. Given that you can buy a 2015 model for £7000, then by 2025 you should be able to get a car with at least 210 miles of motorway range for the price of a Hyundai i20, in a car that's roughly the same size. With respect to battery degradation, the leaked data from Tesla on this was roughly one percentage point drop per 15K miles, so after 45K miles you'll have 95-97% of your battery remaining, hence the 210-mile range for a used Zoe

[@limpet7r63]

Fantastic review, and what a fabulous thing. Its just a shame that massive EV elephant in the room, the range and recharging infrastructure, really is such a massive backwards step from internal combustion. That said, the 14 hour home charge time would only apply if the battery were empty at the end of the day. Presumably in most cases you would be topping up rather than charging from zero, which would easily be achievable overnight. I can't help thinking that the flaws and limitations that go with these BEVs will see to it that a leap in technology, or a different approach is around the corner. To me, this generation of BEV, however impressive in many ways, feels like a stopgap until something better comes along. £130k is a ballsy investment in that respect.

[@jordansage9655]

28:30 Yeah I have the exact same aversion as well, but about GAS STATIONS LOL! I will never have to step foot in one again and it's f-- awesome.

[@DavesIneosGrenadier]

Here in Australia electricity is extremely expensive and driving distances are long and often to remote locations. I have a Mercedes C250 CDI Coupe and on the motorway I use around 4.6L/100km and get around 1450 kms from a tank. A couple of weeks ago I drove from my home on the Gold Coast to see my son in Sydney. 850kms with two 15 minute stops. I couldn't imaging doing that in an electric car. There is often 200-300kms between petrol stations so you would need to stop several times for 30-45 minutes each time.

[@iainbradley2847]

You hit it square on the nose! Looking at Harry's recent Lake District trip or a drive around Northern Scotland you would. have to think long and hard about that sort of journey and get very accurate distance fixes. Still a dinosaur I just can't avoid the feeling that the EV solution has front - loaded appeal - and the vehicles make driving easy if not engaging - but is an intra - urban solution only with no real accounting for its eco credentials. We gave up on ICE way too early. Roll on hydrogen!

[@31276965lmm]

I have owned two Q7’s both V6 Diesels and regularly got 1100 kilometres from a tank driving from Switzerland to the south of Spain 2000kms … including some high speeds. Nothing dangerous but 150/160 kph..

[@DavesIneosGrenadier]

@@31276965lmm The other concern I have is the effects of high ambient temperature. It is winter here and daytime max is only 21 degrees C ( 70 F) but for most of summer it is 35-45 degrees (95-110 F) so you definitely have the aircon on or you will quickly die. From what I can read this drains the battery quickly, increases the time it takes to recharge and shortens the life of the battery. My garage is not airconditioned so add 10-20 degrees to those temperatures.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Remember our low fuel excise and lack of CO2 road tax in Australia. This favours ICEs compared to the more progressively taxed UK market.

[@DavesIneosGrenadier]

@@TassieLorenzo Our fuel excise is 42.7 cents per litre which is pretty high. Considering in Australia most of our electricity comes from Coal fired power stations and there is no viable alternative " at the moment" that is only a small part of the problem. Real world range and usability is the main issue. We also find in the heat of summer our electricity grid crashes when everyone comes home from work and turns on their aircon. Imagine what would happen if they also plugged their electric vehicles in at the same time!!

[@gazobee]

Awesome honest review. It’s nice to hear that a manufacturer is actually designing for real world use and not to just follow fashion or allow them to claim best in class figures for something.

[@crisholmurb007]

Spot on review - with an Audi e-tron GT (irrespective of version) you need access to an 800V charger network to really get your ROI to acceptable levels. Ionity is the only solution in Europe. Sad to hear they are only planning 40 stations throughout the UK.

[@mrchestwell]

Harry: "I'm not going to blabber on for 144 miles.' Us: :-(

[@richardhintonracing]

Enough anxiety in our lives without all this worry about getting home without being stranded.

[@captainwin6333]

Luddite. Fast charging tech will bring charging down to a few minutes. China already have batteries that will last 1.2 million miles and other companies are increasing the power capacity of batteries meaning more power for the same battery size. ICE is dead.

[@ralphmillais5237]

@@captainwin6333 Well, I hope they are going to be a damn sight cheaper than 130K!!

[@jimmybob3756]

@@captainwin6333 you carry on living in your dream world along with the politicians.

[@stevenkelby2169]

"It is coming, whether you like it or not" Harry Metcalfe 19:35

[@stevenkelby2169]

That sounds almost identical to people who didn't want to give up their horses 100 years ago. Don't worry, we'll all be back oh horses again in 50 years 😉

[@bryanb1062]

I've owned a 2023 RS Etron GT for 8mo now and I absolutely LOVE it! If it had 350+ miles of range, I'd make it my long drive car, but sadly, can't count on it above 180-200 with how I drive :)

[@phils2180]

Possibly the "best" fully electric car yet but not the most important. The most important are the affordable cars for the masses. A car with real life usability that can take the family and luggage 300+ miles on holiday on one charge and fully recharge in the time it takes to fill a petrol tank. Adding 14miles in 3hrs on a domestic 13A supply just isn't good enough. At the present rate of development such cars are a long way off IMO. At 61, maybe petrol and diesel will see me out after all......hopefully!

[@harrysgarage]

My thoughts too! Don't feel pressurised into buying an EV, they only suit some people, they are not a global solution to mobility. ICE engined cars are going to be around a lot longer than Boris thinks as they are excellent mobility devices. And raise lots of tax revenue..

[@joe718gt4]

Yes that is why I never got into the EV "revolution." They're still out of the price range out of most people (the most disappointing part) and not any more practical if at all.

[@chrisgraythereal]

@@harrysgarage Have you looked into energy storage at home that might offer you a better charging rate - maybe hooked into that solar farm and wind turbines you wanted to build? I recently saw a recommendation from someone who was using these on his farm - kilowattlabs.com/solar-storage/

[@iainbradley2847]

@@harrysgarage I agree Harry. One way or another we are heading for a climb down or a fudge here and remember that we have still to address the HGV issue where range and turnaround times are critical. Those in remote areas will simply have no option but to stick with diesel or petrol for range security.

[@stevefinch2839]

@@harrysgarage had this exact conversation with a friend he thinks I'm against them , I just think ice is better as the network for Evs is not really started yet . Boris drives a 24 yr old pre via , I wonder why?

[@andyjones5192]

Quote Walter Röhrl:“ I am now 74, I got no time to waste charging an electric car.“ 😁👍

[@anthonypaynter828]

Walter was the king then & he certainly is now. I agree Walter.

[@phamnuwen9442]

Wise words. The older you get, the more you appreciate the value of time.

[@everything777]

Get home. Plug car in. Walk away. It takes literally 10 seconds, it's much more convenient than ICE. Assumes you can park by your house of course, the on street problem is a big one.

[@phamnuwen9442]

@@everything777 Still 10 seconds more than I have to spend every night and morning. And what if you forget to plug in? You may have to start your day by spending an hour at a charger. But the main problem of the BEV is the limited range, slow charging and poor infrastructure for road trips. And the price which is twice that of an equivalent gasoline or diesel car.

[@TriviaChallenge]

Because no one queued for petrol or to pay for petrol ever.

[@Republic-Of-Me-Travel]

Its interesting that with any electric car review ive noticed people invariably find some activity to do whilst charging, generally involving a meal or drink etc Its almost as if those costs should be incorporated into the E vs ICE comparison for efficiency....i know i certainly dont buy lunch or coffees when i fill up my petrol vehicle So whats the alternative then....sleep in the car for 40mins....go for a jog?? Good review of course, pl keep them coming Harry

[@ItsTheNada]

EVs have there ups and downs. Glad there are people out there who are being honest about it. I could see having one for very specific applications but living in the US, I need range and plenty of it.

[@markrushton1516]

But now the charging companies (and that could be oil or car companies) now know where you are and for how long. if they get into owning the coffee shop they now get the details of your spend, journey and time in car. Coffee and snack? Average £5 per person so add that to the cost of the electric

[@roderickdekruijf1495]

I eat and drink while charging. And sleep. At home where I do 95% of my charging.

[@Republic-Of-Me-Travel]

@@roderickdekruijf1495 indeed, i think thats probably the only way to do it.

[@imaner76]

I could spend all day with you. There are not enough of us left. Thank you for the review. When the A6 version comes I'll start looking at options. Cheers.

[@BobMonkeypimp]

My biggest worry as a wheelchair bound driver is wheelchair accessible charging points. Sure they may add the odd 'disabled' charging point but as a wheelchair user I need space to open my door fully to drag my chair out of the car & assemble it. A simple blue badge bay will not suffice as they are giving blue badges to pretty much anyone these days, even anxiety sufferers. Now I'm not in any way claiming I'm *more* disabled than anyone else, just a lot of blue badge holders can manage to walk the 5 metres it takes to plug in a charger. If the disabled charging bays are taken up by these people, I have no way of even getting out of my car to charge.

[@gregleavitt1255]

Once we've ramped up and are using EV's en masse, that's when they'll jack up the rates on electricity (and/or use of the filling stations) and the current benefit of low cost per mile will be a "good old days" topic of conversation. It's the same with any consumer product or service. Zero emissions (from the car usage) is a great positive and less dependence on oil/fossil fuels is great, too. But everything that gets to the ubiquitous level is never all-positive and comes with its own series of (perilous) negatives.

[@TiagoJoaoSilva]

They can't differentiate between electricity for homes and for cars, if you charge at home it'll still be cheap. But certainly fast charging will be more expensive (premium product), and BEVs will start paying a "fuel tax" to replace the tax on the petrol that's not being sold any more; roads still have to be kept and built.

[@garydurn7983]

@@TiagoJoaoSilva Unfortunately they will be able to, thanks to the "smart meter" rollout program + high current circuits being installed for EV charging

[@philhartley7551]

nobody should think that using an EV will, in the end, save them money, the government needs the cash they currently get from motorists so expect road pricing (the real reason for smart motorways) to come soon along with other taxes as the road user moves to (forced) EV use

[@gregleavitt1255]

The REAL evolution of the species, as it relates to EVs and all things Humanity, is superconductivity. That's a not-entirely-impossible dream I'd love to see come true in my lifetime.

[@Neojhun]

LOL that was insane vomit of nonsense. Zero functionality or engineering. You were just ideology guessing.

[@michaelwilliams8781]

It actually sounded a lot noisier than I thought it would with that low rumble that sounds like a lot of road noise coming through.

[@sniepo_gaming9953]

Having this car for a year now. It is amazing on the highway canyons and it’s just easy and fun. Amazing daily driver.

[@andy.robinson]

Let's face it, most of these cars are only ever going to do the hop from Surrey to London and back.

[@grahamarnold2591]

OK YAH !!!!!

[@procatprocat9647]

They can stay in Slurry.

[@Neojhun]

Nah just the 2,800 Miles Cannon Ball Run in 44 hours. Surry to London is way too short for a big battery BEVs. You can do that on a freaking Pedal Bike.

[@riktye8800]

Probably the best T-junction take off I have seen on Harry’s channel. I think the embracing of EV is another form of lockdown considering the range.

[@ebutuoyYT]

The Instavolt charger in Eastbourne appears to be quite slow, only 50KW, according to their website. This is why 350KW & higher charging is vital, for long stress free journeys. The same 32 KWH top-up charge would have taken well under 10 minutes, start to finish. Of course batteries have to improve, so they can handle high-power charging for longer, which is mostly an issue of heat tolerance / longevity, but the technology will get there, before long.

[@NickG24]

Good point re: engaging. You get that with all electric cars, you think they’re going to be tosh because your’re a petrol head, but the fact they are quiet, you don’t have to do anything except squeeze the accelerator, take off at any speed, the feeling of flat cornering and even the fact there is so little feedback through the steering all bizarrely add up to something quite special. Maybe the novelty will wear off but as you say, not worth burying your head in the sand - they are coming. I’ve got a leaf on a work scheme and we like it!

[@Baerzilla]

Having driven many EVs I can confidently say that that doesn’t happen with all of them. Taycan and this one are reall special. Tesla feels more like driving a kitchen appliance and many others just feel like any old diesel with more power and instand throttle response, but by no means special

[@trickyrat483]

Harry: "They need to get people into these cars.." Me: "It's £134k before options!" :)

[@filipegil8752]

@@justafish-bd8kw spot on! The whole thing with the green agenda is exactly that. Keep the people packed in the “smart cities”, heavily surveyed só the elites can enjoy the World freely. There was never and intention of migrating everyone from an ICE car into an EV, hence why so many questions around infrastructure and why the best EV products cost so much. Is an 18 year old going to the market splash 50k on an used Tesla or BMW whatever instead of buying an Aygo or something like that for 5K or e en less? 🤔

[@mrmoran0077]

My pickup went on fire when I was fishing on saturday night so this is just the tonic I need to lift my spirits a wee bit 😳

[@johnsmith1474]

10:00 looks to be a 1968 Chevy Impala SS, fastback coupe. Thereby it is time to ask for a test on a new mid-engined Corvette, as I have been requesting and as Harry will do one day, it being so interesting at it's price point.

[@CreosoteChris]

Thanks John, I was wondering - what about the 50s fins 'n' chrome monster beside it?

[@johnsmith1474]

@@CreosoteChris - That's a classic 56 Bel Air Nomad wagon, super prized in California surf culture, hence the generalized term in the US, "beach wagon." The 55 was "simple" in the rear, the 56 & 57s were increasingly higher finned in a sort of "fin war" that happened across American vehicles as American stylists played on jet aircraft theme. The sedan version was prized for conversion to hotrods, because the weight transfer to the rear wheels was good for drag racing. Neat paint shop!

[@ghettoblaster_]

That's a '65 Impala.

[@CreosoteChris]

@@johnsmith1474 Thanks John - I kinda expected a well-informed answer, just beacuse this is such a great channel and foillowed by all the right people. By the way, I'm sure you are absolutely right, and years ago I watched the Jay Leno Nomad restomod episode kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2iUooKei7etq9E Kudos

[@johnsmith1474]

@@ghettoblaster_ - Thanks for the correction. I didn't have it pinned, which is why I wrote "looks to be."

[@AGermanMan]

Waiting an hour for enough charge to go really anywhere is absolutely pathetic for $140,000.

[@alrightdave6135]

$187,000

[@johnsmith1474]

Sitting in a stinky gym having lousy coffee wearing your Rolex ....

[@floflorian6085]

@@johnsmith1474 Patek Philippe actually :)

[@MrStian78]

Waiting like 20 minutes. I only use the 350kw Ionity chargers for my Taycan.

[@SDK2006b]

If you’re waiting when re-charging an EV then you’re doing it wrong. Recharge somewhere when you need to stop for a comfort break or refreshments.

[@peterbennpan7288]

I seen a Renault zoe the other day and it sounded like a Jonny cab from Total recall

[@fawadali135]

Curious to know if it will allow to charge simultaneously via both ports and if that will make it faster.

[@Thewebmastercom]

I would love to know what you thought of Clarkson's farm.

[@connormatthews522]

Absolute weapon of a modern car in the garage. "It has buttons!" haha

[@ChrisLourens]

Given the weight of electric cars, do they use speciaslised tyres / pressures. It would be a consideration to keep in mind when deciding to buy an EV.

[@Coffeedrinkerer]

Out of interest do you know the rough cost vs conventional tyres?

[@paulmcgee1867]

I would worry if parking in a field on say a garden visit with all that weight

[@kentonian]

@@paulmcgee1867 its the same weight as the land rover with wider tyres and 4wd

[@paid2getdirty1]

The spec list shows boost KW as 475, Peak KW as 440, and continuous KW as 142. Please Harry could you check and clarify for how long peak KW can be used for, there is a big difference between 440KW and 142KW!

[@harrysgarage]

It's all so weird and hard to get the facts, I'm afraid I don't understand that 142kW figure at all. Maybe someone on here can help us out, as I'd like to know the answer too..

[@paid2getdirty1]

@@harrysgarageThanks for the reply Harry. The continuous power rating is based on what the battery pack can supply and the motors can convert into torque continuously without thermal overload. Pretty much like putting a vehicle on a chassis dyno, loading the wheels and finding out what the drivetrain and cooling system can cope with continuously without overheating. Very similar to duty cycle. A simple comparison is a welding machine that has a maximum 300amp capacity but can only provide that output for 20 minutes in every 60 whereas it can provide 100amps continuously because it's cooling system will allow it to. The 800 volt Audi EV battery can provide 440kw/550 amps (amps = watts divided by volts) for a relatively short duty cycle but can provide 142kw/177.5amps continuously. However, with an 84kwh usable battery pack, if you pulled 142kw/177.5 amps out continuously it will last 0.6 of an hour. Hence why EV are hopeless for towing etc. It illustrates why very good battery thermal management is key to big power outputs and long battery pack life and why it will be a very neat trick to build an electric 44 tonner that can climb up Windy Hill or operate in the Australian outback at 130 tonnes. Perhaps next time you have an EV on test you can ask the press centre to supply it with a towbar and test it at GTW to show this?

[@robertcarless7445]

Something I haven't seen mentioned with heavy, quick electric cars. What is tyre wear like when using the performance, how much do those tyres cost? I'll bet they are massively expensive on this particular car.

[@kentonian]

Probably more than an equivalent ice. but don't forget all the mechanical bills for things like clutches you get with ice. Also model 3 is only 1.5 ton so not all ev are as heavy as this.

[@DiscoFang]

Yes, 21inch 265 and 305 wide Goodyear F1 tyres will be rather expensive.

[@DiscoFang]

Just checked. The F1 Asymmetric 5 that are on this car are around £210 for the fronts and £265 for the rear.

[@davidlythgoe8478]

Took a demo car out today and I really have concerns about the lack of fast chargers round here but I absolutely loved it. Mine was the less expensive GT but nevertheless this will be my next car. It’s a pity you have to get the higher spec for speed limit display and the laser headlights

[@timskelton2125]

We really need to get a price cap on these fast chargers! It’s ridiculous how much they cost. Need to be 25 pence per kilowatt as a standard across the country. I recently used the fast chargers at Exeter services and it cost £26.00 for 110 miles. It’s twice as expensive as using petrol. Only works if you charge from home..

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

It's all a con if you ask me

[@kentonian]

@@paulie-Gualtieri. Does you 'All' include tesla superchargers that are 26p a kw?

[@jamessuttie1261]

OUTSTANDING REVIEW HARRY.. Best EV analysis I have seen. I looked at a Taycan, and ended up with a 992 Tutrbo S based on your review. This Audi is excellent, but not perfect. Thanks

[@grenvillephillips6998]

The message coming from those who decide these things for us, is: ready or not; practical or not; like it or not - you'll go electric or walk!

[@noahderrington5156]

Absolutely, it is necessary to just push this technology forward. EVs are already superior in just about every way you measure it apart from two things: cost - that is already coming down and will be at parity to ICE in a few years anyway. Range and charging infrastructure: on its way very quickly. The push to ban ICE is only going to make the transition faster and life better for everyone.

[@ogribiker8535]

@@noahderrington5156 Only if you are rich !

[@stubones]

but they'll drive around in big v8 SUVs and fly on private or tax payer funded jets... The hypocrisy of these crooks is infuriating.

[@ralphmillais5237]

@@noahderrington5156 I find it very difficult to believe that whatever their merits electric cars will make life better for absolutely everyone. And they certainly won't change the weather.

[@philipandreicuk5356]

@@noahderrington5156 KNOB !!!!

[@typhoon320i]

11:37 the sound of exasperation. "14 miles in 3 hours"

[@Neojhun]

Not the correct method of charging.

[@iancharlton678]

Very impressive, probably the most rounded EV thus far….. save the eye watering cost. The expense (£13.00?) and the mileage/range it added, didn’t strike me as economical…. 🤔 I still remain unconvinced about EV for anything other than urban and rural use….. and see EV for travelling as an evolutionary dead end. I think that electric propulsion is without a doubt, our only choice in the future, but with some form of fuel cell carried onboard…. If I had the wealth, that is where I would invest. Lugging about a weighty load of batteries, with a finite life and finite capacity….. reliant on the generation and supply of electricity is no better than the milk floats of my youth….. albeit faster….. even faster than Ernie….. and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west 🙂🇬🇧

[@arjanpetersen]

It is a hyper sports car... how on earth do you expect anything economical. Just compare it to the fastest and biggest Lamborghini

[@iancharlton678]

@@arjanpetersen hyper sports car ? High performance GT car as it’s name suggests. Irrespective of which, my comment was on the price of topping up with electricity, didn’t strike me as very cheap, regardless of what you squeezed that electricity into. And, I’ve tried squinting, but I can’t mistake the GT e-tron for a McClaren, Koenigsegg or Pagani (Hyper car)…….. as for Lamborghini, it’s nothing like an Adventador….. although it could be mistaken for their Urus, Super sports SUV….

[@wolfiestreet6899]

This video, amongst others of the type, further confirm that battery powered EVs are not the way of the future. Fuel cells seem the only real viable way forward.

[@adalba7702]

13:10 if you press the 'view' button on the steering wheel, the car will tell you how fast its charging

[@faustusTVR]

A GT? That means 'Grand Tourer', it's hardly going to be a fun 'Grand Tour' while fretting about where to spend the next few hours to recharge along the way.

[@jobicek]

Ionity (a joint venture of automakers, including VW/ Audi) has quite a few of those 350 kW chargers around Europe. It's still early days, it will get better. On my way to Zell am See, for example, I need to charge once and there are three suitable 350 kW Ionity chargers for me to choose from depending on how well I'm doing (early one in case I'm burning way too much energy [a bike rack or whatever], middle one is a good compromise and late one as a backup as it's in the opposite direction and while getting there is easy, turning back is inconvenient). Just 15 minutes on one of those is plenty (enough for a restroom and a homemade sandwich). But yes, it's not ideal for a GT car. Taking backroads through scenic regions is a lot more difficult. You won't find a 350 kW charger in a small town, unlike a petrol station. But highways? Fairly doable. As long as they keep adding them quickly enough.

[@greenridge7945]

Zap Map is your friend for finding chargers. Assuming you went up the A34, you will have driven past several BP Pulse 150kw chargers on the way home.

[@0-Will-0]

Or ABRP

[@andyfry1970]

Hi Harry, I do love the looks of the Audi, the muscular curves, the whole stance. The power delivery looks on camera, monstrous!!! A very impressive car 😊

[@davepyne62]

Another great review Harry. I definitely like that someone at Audi was brave enough to put buttons in the interior instead of touch screen city. Do you not wish the steering wheel was slightly more sporty looking especially as it is an RS Model?

[@frankspeakmore7104]

That is a big investment for an electric car. But as the technology for batteries gets better, could they be retro-fitted to EV cars? Or do you have to keep buying the latest model to get the best battery for improved distance? And how many times can these cars be charged? Really enjoyed the review.

[@Veyronp87]

this is the top EV if you ask me. stunning looks, great performance, functional interior and great build quality

[@jvandenberg1987]

Feels like everyone is driving six figure car these days. Not shure that's a good thing.

[@keefr22]

I'm not!!

[@wolfiestreet6899]

Let's hope interest rates don't increase....

[@alechall7082]

Lol what

[@phamnuwen9442]

@@wolfiestreet6899 It'll be fine. The government can just type some numbers into the central bank computer and hand it out as bailouts.

[@thomascole9308]

Another great and much anticipated video. I couldn’t previously get my head around why you’d buy the Audi over the Porsche. Though I’ve gone full circle now and think I’d pick the Audi.

[@pj9375]

Harry I'd love to see the calculated carbon footprint of a vehicle like this. In terms of production and running costs... The whole ev environment pov is a farce. Great vid as always sir 🙂

[@duncanidaho7494]

Good point.

[@GM-fh5jp]

Very nice car and review Harry. One thing tho...have you considered a night drive over distance yet? What is it going to do to the range when you are running headlights and high beams on and off etc? That will be an interesting performance metric to consider.

[@ebinsuncle]

I really like the styling, in my opinion, I think it’s better looking than the Taycan. Living down in Cornwall though, there isn’t a possibility that an electric car is a viable option any time soon!

[@phamnuwen9442]

An RS7 is a lot cheaper, almost exactly as quick, much lighter, way more practical, and people won't think you're one of those smug EV activists.

[@MetalMorris]

Can somebody please explain. 3:00 vs 11:06. The vains reduce drag... 3:00 at the drivers side, 11:06 on the passenger side the wheels are exactly the same, but they turn the other way around. Does that mean on the passenger side the vains add drag?

[@keithdyson2741]

The anxiety of finding a charging station that is vacant puts me off owning any EV car!!

[@boyblue998]

It is not just finding a vacant station but also one that is actually working.

[@simontrucker3624]

With your surname Mr Dyson, I'm surprised you haven't invented your own portable fast charger😉 But seriously, I would put money on it that within a few years the Oil Companies will be tearing out their tanks and pumps and installing chargers. After all, ultimately they are in the business of energy supply, they could care less if it is liquid fuel or electricity. They also have the billions to invest, and the hard infrastucture, ie the stations, already in place.

[@phamnuwen9442]

@@simontrucker3624 No they won't give me a break. EV's just add inconvenience and cost over fossil fuels. Nobody really wants them if governments aren't forcing them down our throats.

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

id expect that in the future car chargers will be as numerous as petrol stations

[@simontrucker3624]

@@phamnuwen9442 Which is exactly what will happen, and has already started here, in NZ. The Govt. only two days ago announced a rebate on new EVs, and a tax on petrol and diesel imports. And if you think the exploration and extraction of oil and gas, let alone maintenance costs of wells, isn't an invonvenience and headache for all the major players, think again.

[@headintclouds3657]

Harry “Trying to think why I prefer this Audi over the Taycan”. Could it be that the Audi looks so good, with a well proportioned body and stylish, modern touches? Could it be that the Taycan doesn’t? I particularly love that it isn’t a re-scaled A4. Great review Harry - thank you.

[@AR-rs2dy]

45 mins of poncing = painless? Come on your lordship. Also, I think it was quite pricey. I reckon you got an extra 10 miles of range compared to if you'd spent the same amount on the black stuff. Was the range reading after you had set the destination on the satnav cause that wld explain the accuracy, i.e. it knew which route you had to take and gave the range accordingly.

[@christurner8062]

Fascinating and objective review as always Harry, many thanks. Couple of points though - the Etron RS is basically a Porsche Taycan Turbo, but with a little less power and forgoing some of the chassis trickery of the Turbo and Turbo S Taycan’s. Compared to a Taycan Turbo, even a reasonably loaded spec one, the Etron is actually a shade more expensive…for a less desirable badge one might say.

[@arafatahmed9208]

Congratulations on the new Range rover

[@gaccutler9526]

Great acceleration, handling and comfort... but with 2.5 tons, how long do the tyres last?

[@geraint8989]

Surely RS only means wagon if you ordered the wagon. RS4 was also a saloon and a convertible.

[@morbsgti20vt83]

I thought it meant Ralle Sport ? Also didn't think it was designated solely for estates

[@johanwejedaldesign]

Funny coincidence - I saw one exaclty like this one going the opposite direction when I was driving back home to Gothenburg this evening (the second one I seen so far)! Great video as always!

[@CharlieStyr]

You will have passed at least 2 Ionity 350kW stations on your journey back from Eastbourne. Cobham would have been ideally suited, getting there with about 30 miles remaining so the charge would have been low enough for an extremely fast charge. Probably a 10min stop instead of 40mins... there is planning involved here of course but it doesn't take a lot. If you are actually daily driving an EV you'd get the hang of it fast... a bit like not forgetting to plug your car in when you get home with no charge prior to a 200+ mile journey the next day (seems a rare situation for most, but perhaps not for Harry!)

[@woodywood3388]

It would have been useful to know what the output of the Chargers were. I have an e-Tron and in 40 minutes at a 150kw charger you can charge to 80%. A 50kw charger would obviously give you much less.

[@jtothepmusic]

Great video as usual. I absolutely love the look of the E-Tron GT and there's no denying the technology and performance of it. However, as Shmee150 demonstrated in one of his Taycan videos - the charging of EVs is a MASSIVE issue. It's just so inconvenient to have to plan so much and, even if you factor in a 40 minute stop somewhere, you could be in a large queue for the chargers turning that into hours! Unless battery tech moves on significantly in the next couple of years there will be problems...and then all the current EVs will be out of date and unwanted. How 'green' is that?

[@tahditon9408]

Very well said, sir! 🤝

[@kamster5775]

So true

[@charliehmi76]

Here we are 2 years later, and no, battery tech hasn't exactly come on leaps and bounds. The charging experience can still be very frustrating also.

[@Jay_Bird]

I can always tell when Harry gets a text message. His camera picks up/records that old school modem sound when a message comes in. I had a desk phone years ago that did the same thing when my blackberry had a message incoming.

[@ericpisch2732]

As an EV owner my 130k Audi money would go on a R8 RWD

[@garymcaleer6112]

Good post, Harry. Happy for you, brother. I'll hang in there with my '88 & '93 Fiero & Probe GT's (poor man's super cars).

[@SilentRacer911]

I think it would be very beneficial for wireless charging tech to move to this application. To have it so you pull into your parking area, the charger connects automatically underneath the car either wired or wireless, you may need the wire to move that much power, but have it so it comes out when it runs over something in the garage

[@cjm2005]

Stunning car. Look how mainstream EVs are now! Shocking efficiency though. I get 4 miles/kWh from my £40k model 3 without even trying.

[@hughoxford8735]

The main obstacle to driving an Audi, as far as I can tell, is normal people thinking that you are an Audi driver.

[@phamnuwen9442]

Sure beats people thinking you're a Tesla driver though.

[@blxtothis]

A Porsche Taycan with an Auto Union badge! Apologies I wrote that before I watched this typically excellent Harry video.

[@ghgjftythnhcfghdty]

All this buggering about with range and spending an hour to fill the "tank" with another 80 miles is supposed to be progress, is it? Also, it cost 13 quid for that 80 miles, what happened to the "pennies to charge!" promise? What a crock of sh|t.

[@TassieLorenzo]

It you charge your Nissan Leaf with your home solar, it won't cost much to charge. :)

[@ghgjftythnhcfghdty]

@@TassieLorenzo True, as long as you ignore the £18,000 cost of your solar panel installation.

[@anthropicandroid4494]

I use mine as a "power pack" for my solar arrays; best use I've found for an EV yet!

[@matthewlewis2072]

19:30

[@matthewlewis2072]

BTW, your gas boiler's days are numbered, too. Have a lovely day.

[@grahamarnold2591]

GRIDSERVE NOW ON ALL UK MOTORWAYS ---just bought out ecotricity -----350kw ---charge your very quick ...GREAT TO SEE YOU ANOTHER ELECTRIC CAR.

[@ronniewilson6597]

Fantastic Video ‘H’, but when are we going to see an affordable car for the average family. 😀👍🏻

[@jasonsfraser]

Great review Harry…..I think this is such a good looking car inside and out, glad that it didn’t disappoint from a drivability standpoint. With such a quiet cabin I bet the bang and olufsen stereo sounds fantastic!