Audi e-tron Review - Just Another EV For Guilty Rich People, Or A Real Tesla Alternative?

[@biff2bart509]

OK - full disclosure: I own an E-tron so take my comments for what they are worth... I previously owned a Q5 for many years so I feel I can give some perspective on these cars . Firstly, the E-tron is more crossover - not as tall as an SUV. It's about 4 - 5" lower than the Q5 though it actually manages to have more room inside. It is longer on the outside and slightly wider, but it drives way better (though it's an Audi and no BMW in the driver engagement department). The biggest difference is that the trunk is longer and wider, but not quite as tall as the Q5. Secondly: driving / handling: this is way better than the Q5. I had no issues with the Q5, but the E-tron is just better. It's also SUPER EASY to drive, meaning minimal fatigue. This is compared to pretty much any other gasoline car I've driven. Charging and "energy cost": I'm saving about $300US / month over my Q5 in gas (which needs premium fuel) for similar amount of driving (about 15,000 miles / year). Yes, fast chargers are expensive, but you're only using them if you're road tripping, which isn't that often. If it is, then maybe you should buy a diesel car. Otherwise, if you're charging at home, the car is always ready. Range: well, give Audi credit for actually being honest about the EPA range: they are at least making or exceeding the quoted range under almost all conditions. Also, these media cars all come with 21" wheels which kill the overall range by at least 10 - 15 miles: the 20" wheels are a nice compromise and you'll easily get 210-220 miles on average unless you're driving in -10C all day or doing 80mph on the highway. Here's what also doesn't suck on the E-tron: the hvac. Yes, the controls take some getting used to and I'm not convinced (I agree with the reviewer) that the virtual climate controls are the best idea, but it has serious Hvac, defrost, seat warmers, etc... Shit that actually matters if you own the car and drive in any kind of weather that's not 70F every day. This car get warm QUICKLY. In 20F, it's toasty warm inside in like 2mins. And, that's if you forget to pre-warm it, which can be done with the app in like 5 mins. Finally: the main reason to buy this car: you want a car that's actually safe, functional and backed by a car company. I'm not saying that this is everyone's choice, but it was my choice. By safe, in particular I mean DIALED All Wheel Drive, not mostly OK and sometimes a bit flaky AWD. Just look at the regen braking horror stories when on snow or ice with EVs. This car is DIALED in these situations. Now that E-tron customers are getting them into the mountains during the winter, we're finding that they are exceptional in the snow and even on ice despite the weight. I don't think any other EV maker is even close in the AWD handling game compared to the E-tron. It's literally like driving a tank. It's also a functional daily driver: a bit big, but otherwise, a super functional car. So, yes the E-nero costs half as much and had 15-20% more range, but it's way smaller and does not have AWD. The i-pace is very cool, drives great, but the brakes suck, the MMI is a hot mess and it's bordering on a small crossover in size, which might not be functional for most people. So, if you need a least a medium sized car, want snow / rain / offroad light handling, you're really stuck with Model X and E-tron (EQC is not available in N America yet). You are basically trading range for functionality in these two cars and the real world difference isn't as much as it appears to be on paper. And anyone buying one of these cars needs to be able to charge it at home.

[@biff2bart509]

Wanted to add: to the reviewer: your reviews overall are great BTW :)

[@biff2bart509]

Should also add that the conventional car makers are playing the long game here. They are profitable, don't need to appease VC share holders, and can take their time. This is Audi's first full EV and only the 2nd or 3rd to come out of VAG. They are going to learn a TON from these cars. They're already doing 800V systems on the new Porsche Taycan and Audi GT, there is a whole fleet of VW vehicles coming and they are still pumping out regular gas RS models like crazy. They can take their time to figure this shit out and in the meanwhile, can still make cars that customers want because they're safe, functional, drive well and are supported by a well established dealer network. Some simple math on range: i.e. what an e-tron will look like in 5 years based on the same battery tech: Current range: 204 EPA 20" wheels instead of 21" wheels: +10 miles of range Usable Battery increase from 83.5 WH down to 89.5 KWH: +12 miles of range Internal optimization: software, regen, etc...: +6 miles of range So, realistically this car will have 230 miles of range with zero hardware differences and only software updates. Now, once they move to the pure EV platform and drop 150KG of weight, that will be another range boost: +20 miles. So gen 2 E-tron will have pretty much 250 miles of range, but then batteries will be better and it will be a new car, so the range will effectively be closer to 300 miles. They can take their time...

[@timaustin2000]

Nice, Bart :) I'd say that if you can afford an e-Tron, off street parking is probably not a problem, haha.

[@viperlike2]

No word regarding the mirrors?

[@Gentleman...Driver]

You are saving maybe 300 US$/month, but what did your E-Tron cost in comparison to a similar more conventional SUV from Audi in the same league?

[@jamesf8864]

I've been watching this channel for months. Still haven't adjusted to the fact that there is a successful car KZbinr with a functional intellect and intelligible English. Bravo!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Thanks for sticking with me!

[@jamesf8864]

@@JayEmmOnCars You're smashing it! 👏

[@Tubeyou329]

Just subbed. All the other car channels are boring now and all their vids are the same

[@futmut1000]

So many fanboys who complains about range, most people rarely does more than 50 miles let alone to max out E-Tron range....You do that maybe few times per year and you can supercharge it anyway so no big deal...What really matters is how it drives, build quality, luxury, interiors etc...And no doubt that Audi put Tesla to shame in those areas, if i had money i would go for the E-Tron Sportback which looks amazing, so comfortable, luxurious, amazing interiors etc, probably the best EV hands down...

[@howardmarkert8150]

Thank you, it is reviews like this that have caused the resale values of the 2019 to plunge into the affordable used car range. Currently in the US you can pick up a lightly used 2019 etron prestige (fully loaded orig MSRP US$87,890) with less than 30,000 miles (so still under transferrable Audi warranty) for around US$27,000, or the same price as a lightly used Kia Niro EV which you also mentioned in the video. So with the prcing being the same Yeah, I'll slpurge and pay a higher insurance premium but enjoy all of the Audi quality and the extra space.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

1.5 mikes/kWh ? - holy crap that's terrible

[@damonhill33]

Yeah, extremely! Our Gen 1 Nissan Leaf manages about 4.6 miles/kWh (7.5 km/kWh) with Climate Control on, and quite a bit better without Climate. I know that's not directly comparable to an Audi SUV, but the Gen 1 Leaf is also 7 year old battery and motor technology. A lot of the 'big auto' companies are not even close to competing in the EV space...

[@TheMentalblockrock]

And if you have to have the heating on or the aircon then the battery range will suffer even more. Not to mention the heated seats, heated steering wheel and the screen de-mist and lights!

[@TheMentalblockrock]

190 range miles is crap. I like to drive 250 miles in a comfortable modern car between breaks.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

Yeah the SUV thing was seriously ridiculous, Audi should have made it as a rs6 wagon with way better capabilities but no they wasted their time and money on this shit vehicle

[@1anwrang13r]

@@carholic-sz3qv Look at how many recent A6/RS6/whatever wagons you see out there on the roads and compare it to the number of Q3/Q5/Q7s there are. Very few people are buying wagons these days. It's all SUVs.

[@chrisabbott683]

The big problem for all EVs without a Tesla badge is the charging network. I’ve tried to use non Tesla chargers twice, in Lyme Regis and Godalming. First one wouldn’t work until I phoned up and they rebooted it. Second I tried three times but charging stopped each time. I phoned and was told there was a fault. Both were only 50kw chargers. My other experience was walking past two Nissan Leaf owners trying to charge at Warwick services on ecotricity chargers. Both were on the phone to ecotricity as the chargers weren’t working. Different chargers are run by different companies, some use an app, some a website so there is some faff involved in setting up accounts with them. By contrast I’ve used a Tesla supercharger five times. Each time there was a charger free, I drove up, plugged in and it worked with no issues. I was able to charge at up to 100kw. Due to a recent over the air software update I can now charge at up to 170kw. The difference between the Tesla network and everything else is huge. I fear buyers of Leafs, E-Trons, I-Paces etc are in for a shock when they come to need public charging.

[@worldhello1234]

Being dependened on one network is actually a bad thing. Besides, most Tesla owners are said rich and "guilty" people who charge at home but brag about the Tesla charging network as a unique selling point. :)

[@chrisabbott683]

Red Phoenix What an insightful, intelligent response, thanks.

[@supermiepie1]

Here on the other side of the nordsea we don't have those issues, we have ionity chargers with 250/350KW chargers, they are expending fast, in the next 5 years there will be more then 1 million fast chargers going to be exploid throughout Europe. I don't know about GB but I expect they will get them too. But that Audi is looking great and build quality is perfect, noise levels are much better then a Tesla. The mirrors you're absolutely right 🤣 look at the Honda-E mirrors that is how it should be done👍 Great review and good luck with the show, I enjoy your test a lot and that your being honest, keep the good work going 👍 Lots of greets from the Netherlands 🤗🇳🇱👍

[@bbpleg]

Chris Abbott I couldn’t agree with you more. Unless you only need a car for local stuff and you can charge at home, it’s Tesla or nothing and it’s simply due to the charging network. I’m so tired of watching car reviewers determine and evaluate an EV solely on how it drives, the range etc. an EV needs to be supported by a large international charging network, the car itself needs to be covered by a good warranty as I fear these EVs are going to be expensive to fix when they go wrong, the batteries need to have an effeciwnt heating and cooling system and the list goes on and on. Completely different factors come in to play vs an ICE car.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

I went on a road trip with a I-pace, out f the 7 fast chargers 1 worked the rest failed so was stuck on empty trying to get enough charge from a 7kw. Spent most of the time thinking if we'll make it to the next charger.

[@nickmills6450]

Thanks for the review, interesting. Like what you are doing, intelligent opinions and no shouting or loud music.

[@richardmelchers2938]

Just buy an E-Niro, from the money left over from 90G you can buy a nice weekend S2000 or something like that.

[@Cre8Lounge]

and where to get service?

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

@@Cre8Lounge from Kia Dealers?

[@marcnobel3938]

A SUV with 100kw Power?

[@Dockhead]

@Stimpy&Ren doesn't just work like that, current battery technology or the feasible kind is too minuscule in scale to thoroughly add it to cars safely, otherwise we end up with the leaded petrol or anything with lead scenario again spitting benzene out into the atmosphere like its good for us.

[@Dockhead]

@Stimpy&Ren i never mentioned battery material, i was just on about fuel in the past when lead was an additive to being cheap, once we realised we nearly made something irreparable we instantly cut it out, stupidly we still sell lead additive packages for old combustion engines, even though we know they spewed out benzene fumes and vapours which is directly linked to causing cancers. car battery are probably as safe as it will get in the technology we have, assuming its working and not being sold or chucked into some dump company who will throw it onto a land fill. i love combustion as much as the next guy, but it aint ever going to get better, the more they dilute petrol and diesel down its going to wear faster, meaning the new cars we have are jusrt going to degrade. most cars i see on the side of the road today broken down are less than 7 years old typically.

[@BlueAxeRacer]

I bet we'll start to see indicators on a touch screen in five years...

[@anmolsingh1926]

@G A Ferrari has had those for years.. no one seems to be complaining

[@rajjy1976]

Anmol Singh Wtf you talking about? Everyone’s complained about the Ferrari ones at one time or another. The Lambo’s ones are slightly different in that they’re on the same side, like on a motorbike.

[@rajjy1976]

Pygmalion Well start seeing the steering wheel on a touchscreen next 😂 (Nah bruv Tesla already do that bro yeah Tesla is da best bro the greatest check out my Tesla tattoo with Elon yeah wicked!!! 🤪😒)

[@fbboringstuff]

Anmol Singh not on Instagram sonny boy.

[@thewaywardgrape3838]

You're along the right line, but think even worse. Can say no more 😉

[@thesaintscorner4490]

Grande jay..🙌🏽love your honest reviews

[@CaptiveAlien1]

JayEmm - slightly off topic but picking up on a comment you made across a number of reviews including this one around stereos being average. I generally agree and this is very important for me when I purchase a car. I think your subscribers would be interested in hearing which new, and why not old car optioned or default stereos you rate and think are either good bang for the buck or indeed truly good quality / high end at low and high volumes. Thanks!

[@drew9312]

Really honest review. I’ve driven the 55 Quattro version & couldn’t agree more. To me, it excelled at nothing but being an SUV for wafting. I found it hard to see the cost benefit as it’s very expensive for what it offers.

[@toms_garage]

maybe company car buyers (BIK) is what I am thinking might be the lure?

[@rustynail6363]

So you live in town, load it up with the family and all thier gear bung the caravan/boat on the back and you'll be lucky if you get as far as your nearest motorway! LOL.

[@video99couk]

21:47 Looking at the fit of the driver's door top. Is that an illusion or is the door line really that poor at the top?

[@chrisogrady28]

Eugh, another SUV :(

[@carholic-sz3qv]

Yeah the SUV thing was seriously ridiculous, Audi should have made it as a rs6 wagon with way better capabilities but no they wasted their time and money on this shit vehicle

[@a_stone]

(insert sound file of Chris Harris spitting on the ground)

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

Le Chat Botté but people want an suv, you may not, but lots of people do. So Audi will make what sells.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@Jabber-ig3iw i dont hate SUVs but seriously those things are way less efficient compared to a Sedan

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@Jabber-ig3iw a volvo wagon for example with a 4 cylinder diesel engine is seriously fuel efficient compare to the equivalent SUV

[@sofoclesconfucius8277]

Audi used to charge optional extra for floor mat!! I don’t know whether they still do

[@BecauseWhereBored]

Would love to see you have a look at the iPace

[@mikeytrw]

Just a reminder that the Tesla Model S had 265 miles range in 2012.

[@ColinFox]

Indeed. I bought my Model S P85+ back in 2013. My range was 430 kms (about 265 miles) and it's now down to 390 kms, after 7 years and about 130,000 kms. so I've lost about 40kms range. Not terrible, and still better than most (non-Tesla) new EVs out there.

[@yee6365]

Colin Fox awesome! Did you have to replace anything?

[@rajjy1976]

YeetMyMeat Door handles probably 😆

[@timaustin2000]

@@abugina not quite 20 minutes. More important is the number of miles added in 20 minutes and, as the e-tron gets only 2 miles of range for every KWh added, vs. a Tesla's 4, the mileage you get for your stopping time is higher for Mr Musk's cars.

[@torytronrud2413]

Audi should have put their best engineers on this car instead their "b" team. And that list of optional equipment is ridiculous.

[@71MWhite]

I know paying extra for city pack is tight

[@julian987r4]

Tory Tronrud Audi don’t have engineers. They have marketing men selling the world cr@p

[@milesgixxer]

I agree the standard equipment is very poor ! Eqc you get the multi lights , better sound proof windows which are tinted, full ambient lighting and massage seats; all of which are options on the Audi :/

[@fbboringstuff]

Wow! It’s back to the future with that options list. Just when you thought that the euro lux brands learnt that robbing customers blind isn’t luxurious....

[@timaustin2000]

I know, right. My Renault Zoe - of which you could afford nearly three for the price of this car - has a number of those features STANDARD.

[@MotorPersona]

Loved the preview of these cars in the Marvel films!

[@Eddieboote]

I drove one this week. I found it well placed on the road. In the corners it also gave me confidence, perhaps a little sporty I dare say. The camera mirrors are strange to get used to. You constantly look at the door mirror not the screen. It picks up quick too.

[@slartybartfarst9737]

Best test ever on the Audi Etron 4 miles per kwh on Kia e nero correct 1.5 miles per kwh on the Audi eTron is the problem at £88,000 (another truth....the true price in UK). The positives listed also bang on so. Clearly the best presented objective test. Just what the EV world needs.

[@clemfandango9534]

Lack of energy efficiency and poor range is a killer. Tesla are simply leagues ahead in terms of efficiency. Audi must do better. This first gen e-tron just isn't good enough.

[@MrConor159]

If they made it an estate body it would help with the efficiency which would help with peoples biggest complaints cost and range.

[@josefv-y8m]

Already sent this as main comment...but adding it here again: Range is not always the limiting factor for an EV. The etron is the only EV loading from 10% to 80% nearly constant at 150kw. Most EVs have only a small Peak at the documented highest level. Tesla Björn is doing 1000km Tests on his channel and the etron took 10:20h, while the Tesla Model 3 Longrange took 10:00 (the best in his list). Means Range and Efficency are two important factors for an EV, but the excellent loading curve is very, very important, too. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360000815988-Charging-with-an-Audi-e-tron The Hyundais and Kias have much better range, but due to very bad loading curve they are all slower on long distance than a eTron. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360001029367-Charging-with-a-Hyundai-KONA max at 77kw only and drops already at 40% If you calculate any route using abetterouteplanner.com you will see the same like the Test from Tesla Björn. eTron is always one of the best, if there are >150kw Chargers on the route.

[@m.r.659]

I am agreeing with idea of electric cars but in my opinion hydrogen is the more practical future especially for people like me who live in a flat in city like York UK, so no dedicated charger at my property. Most important the cost of electric cars is to high for people working on average salary so I will stick to my Peugeot 206 which so far is very reliable and I am able to fix most things by myself. Maybe adopt lamp posts for charging points like other countries do, but still the price is what is stopping those vehicles to became popular and make difference to the environment. As always great video.

[@HipsterNgariman]

The e-tron's idea was mainly to do an Audi SUV that just drives like an Audi SUV - but without an ICE in it. All the other EVs have futuristic bells and whistles whereas this is just meant to feel like a regular Audi.

[@dogphlap6749]

3:15 Type 2 extension cables are readily available however Type 2 is a lot slower than CCS. I have a vague memory that tells me extension cables for CCS are expressly prohibited in the CCS standard (can somebody that knows confirm or refute that please). A Google search failed to come up with any CCS extension cords/cables.

[@richardlee7124]

Just ordered the new 50 model... Mileage i do means i should only need to charge it 2-3 times a week and the lease was a steal at £305 pw over 3 years...bargain

[@theknave4415]

When I look at legacy auto EV's, I see interiors that haven't changed for over 30 years. Longer than that, when you examine older luxury cars.

[@freddiejones4598]

I've never understood people that buy B&O sound systems. Especially in cars. It's just rebranded Phillips internals that looks fancy. But in a car it doesn't even look fancy so whats the point?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Because the alternative is total trash

[@freddiejones4598]

@@JayEmmOnCars 😂 that shouldn't be a selling point but fair enough

[@ItsDanLatham]

Seems like a decent car overall, but I completely agree with your gripes. We've come to know good quality interiors from Audi even on base model A4's, so something double or triple the price should be a bit more plush in terms of materials. I think these are going to sell in very low numbers like most EV's until the charging networks are up to scratch. And I think most people willing to spend 80-90k on a car are probably an enthusiast anyway, so will lean toward either a petrol powered vehicle with better driving engagement or a performance Tesla.

[@cousinjames9660]

I have spent 10,000 miles (not 400 like journalists that always criticise !) with an Audi A7 with the ‘silly’ HVAC touchscreen and it’s brilliant. You DON’T need to take your eyes of the road, you very quickly get used to the haptic feedback screen.

[@rickc2102]

Every company should make an EV to bring down their averages, that way they can also make us something with a V12.

[@toms_garage]

its sad BMW have stopped the V12 production and given the world the iX and new 7 Series electric

[@BarryMakariou]

Finally someone comparing electric cars with the digital camera revolution. Didn’t take long for everyone to ditch their film based camera.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

And the company that puts real buttons back in will win.

[@toms_garage]

I have 2 friends with these and both struggle to get above 180miles in real world driving. (dropped to about 150miles in winter)

[@erezyoal]

Where is the camara mirors ?

[@jimrandall1739]

Is the TPMS an option in the Uk, being as it’s a legal requirement on new Uk cars.

[@edwardpurkis1084]

I'm very surprised at its bad efficiency, I know it's not a comparable car but my Renault Zoe has a 40kwh battery and get 3.5M/kWh on a motorway, about 4.5 M/kWh in town and if I'm very careful it gets 5.6 M/kWh. It's a far lighter car I know and it's only 2wd. But I can go basically the same distance as the Audi in a car that's 1/4 of the price.

[@elchaconaso]

a 60%+ depreciation in first year vehicle.no thanks.

[@jamest5149]

Isn’t the tyre pressure monitor a legal requirement now?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Probably

[@rickc2102]

Would make sense, keep fuel economy up.

[@W42PZ]

Yes it is.

[@MrConor159]

"Starting in November 2014 (ECE-R 64 EU Directive), all new models of passenger cars must be equipped, in E.U., with a TPMS". Stolen from wikipidea.

[@andresrtorres9794]

Excellent review Jay. Extremely heavy car with very low trip range and with average in class interior and exterior features at a price that really does not add together properly. Audi has a long road ahead to catch up with the electric car world. Calling it a Q5 electric would have been a much better name for it.

[@rv2167]

who has a better interior? The E-tron is like a 5 star hotel and a Tesla is like staying in a cardboard box. It is heavy, but feels quick and is solid.

[@Dave-in-France]

I think that the Audi e-tron is a rubbish EV, not necessarily a rubbish car, but a truly rubbish EV. It is too heavy, it is, in relative terms, a modest performer, it is horrendously expensive. It is most importantly symptomatic of the VW group and it's EV efforts. EV's are not ICE cars, so they permit a truly fresh clean design sheet, but because VW group are so vested in their own ways of doing things, they can't/won't be 'light on their feet' and adapt quickly, embracing new opportunities. I foresee VW group going bankrupt within 3-5 yrs, because they are 10 yrs behind in a race they can't win.

[@Swoerm]

Only looking at the current generation of EV vehicles from VAG you are right (apart from the bankruptcy part which I do not agree with). What you have to take into account is that VAG is currently developing their own EV platforms from the ground up which the next generation of VAG EV vehicles will be based on (successor to this e-tron, Taycan, eGolf etc.). I think from this change we can expect a signification improvement. But the question remains whether this improvement will be large enough, considering that their competitors are also moving forward.

[@kevb1249]

Agree entirely - EVs should be different the exteriors do not need to be to crazy (most people don't wanna look like flash gordon) but trad interiors with big arm chair seats and lots of energy sapping gimmicks (and leather) it's all ICE old school - keep them light with intelegent design.

[@BlenderBends]

They had one chance to make it a. " Halo " product and show what the Audi brand could do. Push the envelop, and its turn out to be a kinda half arsed attempt in the EV market as they feel they need to be there. Sums up the Audi product range. Very confused , not sure if they are Lux brand, Sports car brand or just a posh Skoda. The only up side to this car is that you won't get the Audi engine , water pump warning light come on just as warranty expires. :) thanks for a good review.

[@brettgoodwin6052]

This is so bland, it ignites no passion, maybe the younger generation will say this about fossil fuel cars in the future

[@macbitz]

Touchscreens.... yuck!!! That's what you get when you let programmers design car controls - why have a control you can access using muscle memory and keeping your eyes on the road, when you can bury it somewhere inside a menu system you have to look at instead of the road.

[@BlueAxeRacer]

That's when they're working, of course. How very economical.

[@torytronrud2413]

zzpza Get used to it. All cars, including petrol ones are going that way because it is so much cheaper to produce. Also, it enables future over the air updates.

[@BlueAxeRacer]

@@torytronrud2413 I don't want cheaper, I want better. Also, updates don't mean crap when the screen stops working and costs thousands to replace.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

@@torytronrud2413 No reason you can change the way physical buttons work with updates.

[@anmolsingh1926]

They don't want you to use media and infotainment while driving

[@peterADL]

Spot on. It is not e-tron, it is Q5 electric.

[@joshuaelliot2020]

Saw my first one on the motorway commute this morning. All black, it looked very smart with the rear light bar! Did think it was a normal q8 until I was close though 👀

[@joshuaelliot2020]

Ah yes the mirrors! Thats what made me think hang on this isn't a normal Audi!

[@fairwoodbuilding7373]

Disappointed you didn't speak about the actual range. I only get about 130 miles out of mine and Audi tell me I will only get more if I switch all the toys off, do not use wipers and lights and drive at 55 mph and ensure I drive downhill to allow regeneration of the battery

[@arrangrant4614]

Would like you do a review of the new Vauxhall Corsa e EV. I am looking to buy a new one but £30,000 seems a lot for a small hatch when the top of the range new petrol and diesel versions are £20,000

[@arrangrant4614]

White Powder possibly I would like to go electric but I don’t see paying another £10,000 basically the same car with similar performance but with a quoted range of only 200 miles

[@nicholasshort7849]

@@arrangrant4614 do the maths and you may find that the cost of the ev is similar over your time of ownership to the petrol/diesel. Electricity is so much cheaper than petrol if you can charge overnight at home and is taxed at a lot lower rate. The cost/benefit all depends on how many miles you do and whether you can charge at home. Road tax is free and servicing should be cheaper too due to less moving parts, no fluids and the brakes getting little use due to regenerative braking using the motors.

[@theknave4415]

Also, look at maintenance and operating costs of an EV vs ICE cars. Hint: The EV - especially Tesla's - are much less expensive to own and operate than ICE vehicles. The savings will more than pay for full coverage insurance, as well as most of the electricity to keep it fully charged.

[@arrangrant4614]

The Knave i guess the higher prices of electric cars must be the cost of the battery pack

[@nicholasshort7849]

​@@arrangrant4614 Yes, the battery pack is by far the most expensive part in an EV. Two points worth noting on this front: 1: the cost of the pack/EV can be offset against the cost of fuel in an ICE car over the ownership (as I said above). 2: the cost of the pack in NEW cars will fall steadily as the technology improves (This happens with any tech - such as computers). This will affect residual (2nd hand) prices as the cost of new cars will fall so it pays to wait to buy a new EV in my opinion - or get a good lease on last year's model. Finally, to offset the lower servicing requirements of EVs, manufacturers are going to have to sell EVs at a higher margin and pass on higher commissions to dealers. A lot of the profit in the auto business is servicing/parts and if this is reduced with EVs they will have to make more money up-front to keep the show on the road. This will potentially keep EV prices high in the short to mid-term even when battery prices reduce as manufacturers shift their business models. A lot more direct selling of cars on the web will occur too - Tesla does this and other manufacturers are following.

[@tradingcardboss]

Love your videos question what cars have voice activated controls ? So there’s no need to try and adjust with touch screens

[@MrVroom1]

The Mercedes EQC does with their "Hey Mercedes" voice activation. It's very very advanced for in-car voice recognition and it's highly accurate....... Well 80% of the time anyway! 😂😂

[@tradingcardboss]

Vin Diesel's Husband thanks for the info

[@gregshrimpton1630]

Good review! Very honest as usual! But I suspect Audi have a large enough customer base to have a percentage of customers to be put in to the (brand snobbery bracket) who will buy it just because it has an Audi badge? After all they have spent many years refining the brand! Lets face it how many rich people buy an SVR? to me and many other's down in the lower ranks it makes no sense to even try to run one let alone buy one, but there are many sold! I am how ever betting Audi are listening to many of the suggestions you made, as I bet you have just done some designers work for the next year or so!

[@jsouto77]

Im sure they will have all things ironed out when they release the megatron.

[@thenullco]

Underrated comment.

[@andrewstoffel1170]

So it’s LHD or RHD ?

[@Marcke-tb1hb]

Electric cars only make sense for business owners because the ridiculous tax-payer funded grants and tax breaks. For retail customers they’re all a no, no.

[@AlexanderDiana]

After looking at everything as things have come out, while owning a tesla before any of them came out, I bought another tesla. Its sad how much these companies have botched EVs and make everyone believe they aren't good.

[@Irishesbox11]

The I Pace is a stunning car as is the E Niro for a lower price, and the Taycan blows every other EV out of the water.

[@timaustin2000]

While I understand the temptation to believe that off street parking is rare in the UK, the statistics don't actually agree. According to the last census, more than 73% of households in the UK had a driveway. Doesn't help the rest, of course, but thinking that home charging is an outlier idea just demonstrates that you spend a long time driving around Bradford or Dewsbury and such.

[@bbpleg]

EVs can cost a lot more than ICE cars, because many countries have massive taxes on ICE cars, but EVs are exempt for the most part. For example in Denmark the cheapest Porsche you can buy is a Porsche Taycan and this is simply due to the massive taxes on the ICE Porsche’s.

[@DRSHANKER]

How long will the batteries last with this fast charge tech "charging within an hour"?

[@theknave4415]

Teslas lose about 10% - 15% after 150K - 200K miles. No one else even comes close to maintaining that level of battery efficiency for that long.

[@redjacc7581]

Optional extra: comfort remote preconditioning, what is that?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I believe it can warm or cool the car remotely

[@redjacc7581]

@@JayEmmOnCars cheers Jay...........really enjoy your vids.

[@HaraldBrevig]

when audi app works you can set the tempature in audi app. this only worsk 50% of time

[@nicholasshort7849]

@@JayEmmOnCars yes, pretty much every other electric car has this because it saves energy to pre warm/cool the car when it is plugged-in to the charger. Can't believe it is an option on the Audi! Is the passenger seat an option too?!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

@@nicholasshort7849 Additional Occupancy Pack, £950

[@allanlai_]

Thanks for the frank and honest opinion

[@veemacks7255]

Audi are putting most of their research budget into their h-tron range. That's what they (and BMW) consider to be the real future path.

[@zippy963]

Great review as always.

[@PorscheSweden]

I am a hardcore Audi fan and iv'e had nearly 15 of their cars, currently running an A6 40 TDI quattro sedan. This is a very great car, have yet to drive one but i have driven Teslas etc and it's very difficult to be special in this segment. Electric cars are good for one thing, efficient transportation. They dont offer any joy IMO or excitement. Teslas for example are very fast, but i would rather go for a 3.0 TDI tuned if i wanted a fast car because petrol/diesel engines have such a nice Torque curve. The customer for an EV car is a person who wants cheap and efficient transportation, leave all the excitement and pure car enthusiasm to the good old engines. Audi did a good job on this one, but i dont see myself buying one anytime soon.

[@DrFod]

The iPace knocks this thing out of the park, and is a lot cheaper too.

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Good idea Jay to suggest that this car should have a 500 mile range, but that would mean a battery pack getting on for two tons!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Or the need to make the car twice as efficient

[@TheMentalblockrock]

@@JayEmmOnCars electric cars and batteries are already as efficient as they can be! It is the poor energy density of batteries compared to fossil fuels that is the real issue.

[@torytronrud2413]

John Matthews EV battery technology is still in its infancy so big gains in efficiency will continue to be made. Compared to only a few years ago, batteries are already much better and cheaper to make,

[@TheMentalblockrock]

@@torytronrud2413 This is a fallacy as a re-chargable battery can never have anywhere near the energy density of hydrocarbon fuels. Battery technology can only go so far and future improvements are very much a case of diminishing returns.

[@Michael_Lorenson]

That last drive-by shot points out just how much road and tire related noise cars make at higher speeds. While they are very quiet at lower speeds where that's not an issue, electric cars are far from silent overall. At the same time, governments are worried their near-silence at low speeds poses a danger to pedestrians, so many governments are considering requirements for them to make noise at low speeds! What a strange world.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

When i don't a ipace on the motorway it didn't seem any quieter than any other car. Rarely hear engine noise in a car on the motorway, all tyre.

[@BlueAxeRacer]

700kg just for the batteries? Blimey.

[@KayoMichiels]

Except... it's part of the structure...

[@fbboringstuff]

MK3424 well du’h... god help us if it wasn’t...

[@rajjy1976]

How many times do you run through your script? Mad you remember everything you want to say. Unless your making a lot of edits and sewing everything together. Slick work man. Also, that energy consumption is an embarrassment 🤨

[@JayEmmOnCars]

There is no script per se - just a couple of bullet points for the intro, that's it.

[@petelyden8193]

@@JayEmmOnCars But you still can't tell the difference between wing mirrors and door mirrors!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

@@petelyden8193 there's a difference? Always been wing mirrors to me

[@shorehambeach]

Pete Lyden 🙄🙄🙄

[@jondobbs]

I've seen a BMW i3 advertised with free 12 months road fund license !

[@P-I-D-D-Y]

Could that be because it was over £40k?

[@jondobbs]

Daniel Pidcock no, they don’t come with one so it’s free to start with but dealer implied they’d paid 😂

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

Excellent remark on the e-tron name!

[@Trad-Am]

Front and rear charging ports make the most sense.

[@ruk2023--]

The logic for the third screen is that it is much cheaper to manufacture one piece of software and one screen than loads of different bits of plastic and metal. It's not consumer friendly but it makes them more money. Hopefully in the future gesture and voice controls will get so good that the screens aren't needed for interaction. The interior will be another business politics decision. Porsche is the luxury EV brand for VAG currently. Don't forget that this car is a Porsche Macan rival if it is as luxurious.

[@carlmaissan4340]

Yep, very hard to see the value prop for either the ETron or the EQC. And therefore not holding my breath for the other recycled-platform attempt, the BMW iX3 either. Which is a shame, as I'd like to move to an EV daily. Would love to see your review on a non-performance Tesla Model 3; seems like potentially the first EV that's a compelling package vs ICE equivs like 330i or A4

[@ColinFox]

Dude - if you're going to test drive EVs, you *must* test drive at least *one* Tesla. It is the benchmark after all.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I'm trying

[@acchaladka]

JayEmm on Cars if you come to Canada, we have a Model 3 reserved for you.

[@soplim8632]

Yeah review it again after it is 5 years old. Then tell me how much you enjoy the car and the cost.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Most cars in the UK are leased, so unlikely anyone will keep it past 3 yrs

[@ColinFox]

@Chris If I may butt in here. I bought my Model S P85+ back in 2013. It was expensive - $130k CAD with financing. But I love it more and more each day. I've only lost about 40 kms of range, and it has been super inexpensive to run. The first 100,000 kms I drove only cost me $1,500 CAD. I live in an apartment and they let me install my own charger & meter, so I know exactly what I've paid just for the car. No ICE will get you 100,000 kms for only $1,500 in gasoline. My previous car, a 91 BMW 535 AC Schnitzer, could go 400 kms on $100 worth of gas, so that same 100k kms would have cost me $25,000 in gasoline alone, never mind oil, plugs, brakes, exhaust, fluids.... Once you go EV, you never go back. Doesn't rhyme, but it's true.

[@diamond_h0us]

Chris 20k miles per year is not really much. With that, most of the charging should be overnight at home.

[@stuchly1]

Implying tesla isn't a vehicle for guilty rich people. 🤣

[@torytronrud2413]

Petr Stuchlý It isn't if, you buy the Model 3 or the forthcoming Model Y.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

@@torytronrud2413 Is still 40k for the basic model, well out of range for the majority of people.

[@diamond_h0us]

Robert in the US at least, you don’t need to be rich to afford a $40,000 car.

[@R-Tap]

You would buy the e-tron over its competitors because its an Audi (probably). It has driveway cachet.

[@diluxe]

Compared to the alternatives it is a luxury alternative even though it's not quite luxury and that would be enough for those that can't deal with a Korean badge, tesla lack of luxury or Jaguars concern on reliability. It's real rival is the Merc EQC in my opinion .

[@fatboy19831]

If the ETron had an 250 mile range and it had a nicely equipped price of $60,000 they would sell thousands of them. Unfortunately most of those sales would come from potential Q5 customers. So Audi priced it at 70k with a 200 mile range. It is not competitive with the Q5. Unfortunately it is not competitive with the Tesla X or Y either.

[@josefv-y8m]

Have sent this already as main comment...but adding this here again... Range is not always the limiting factor for an EV. The etron is the only EV loading from 10% to 80% nearly constant at 150kw. Most EVs have only a small Peak at the documented highest level. Tesla Björn is doing 1000km Tests on his channel and the etron took 10:20h, while the Tesla Model 3 Longrange took 10:00 (the best in his list). Means Range and Efficency are two important factors for an EV, but the excellent loading curve is very, very important, too. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360000815988-Charging-with-an-Audi-e-tron The Hyundais and Kias have much better range, but due to very bad loading curve they are all slower on long distance than a eTron. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360001029367-Charging-with-a-Hyundai-KONA max at 77kw only and drops already at 40% If you calculate any route using abetterouteplanner.com you will see the same like the Test from Tesla Björn. eTron is always one of the best, if there are >150kw Chargers on the route.

[@fatboy19831]

@@josefv-y8m In the United States we have very few non Tesla 150kw chargers. The Tesla 3 has a longer range and also charges faster than the etron. In the states if you are going on a long trip outside the east or west cost the E-tron simply has no access to 150 kw chargers. Even if it did it lacks the range to go from one 150 kw charger to the next. Then you are limited to 50kw or even less. Even though the E-tron can charge very fast from 5 to 90 % that is only 180 miles of range. The LR3 going from 5% to 80% is over 250 miles. The Audi Etron is a fine SUV but it is simply not competitive with Tesla or even the Korean competition. Even if you leave fast charging out of the equation most people can drive for a week with a 240 mile real world range. That is something the Etron simply cant do.

[@josefv-y8m]

@@fatboy19831 means this is a matter of infrastructure and hopefully electrify America will fill this gap soon in US. www.electrifyamerica.com/ According to the map, if you search for the closest charger, you can drive completely through US using only this network. ...but they offer 350kw and is meant to serve Porsche Taycan for free...I think in the first year 😉 abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=59da657d-681c-4a81-b141-1d6519efb715 tells me about 53h from LA to New York using the network of Electrify America and about 48h for the Model 3 Long-range using Tesla SCs...not too bad for the eTron. There are about 23 stops and all of them have several Stalls with 350kw...mostly located at Walmart according to the Planner

[@dragonsickness4561]

The Audi is good. Much better interior than Tesla but slower. They will catch up

[@barebarekun161]

The latest Motor Show in Thailand back in early December,Audi didn't even have the e-tron on the show floor but more than happy to shove and push the new Q3 and Q8 in Thai people' faces. Even though it listed on their official site with lower price than the Q8. I'd say in our country case this is just another one of those EV for Guilty Rich People. Mediocre range and high deterioration scared them from showcase the thing I guess,even the flawed Leaf is on the show floor in the same show.

[@HaraldBrevig]

So own this car and have about 3500 km on it. The best ev i have ever driven. And on long trips the car just rules, its muche faster the model x over 1000 km.

[@mantistoboggan4423]

Fun fact, this is the exact same e-tron that Matt Watson reviewed - recognized the reg plate. 😜

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Yeah Audi press fleet

[@LiamE69]

People that can afford a car that expensive typically have somewhere to charge. Lack of a place to charge will be an issue at the lower end of the market, not the 60-80 grand end of the market.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

You say that, but a lot of expensive flats in cities dont have easy access charging

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

I wonder who is the girl with glasses whom we have seen in the car with you around 14:00 ?

[@bzdtemp]

Part of why the EU car makers are getting into EV's is the EU regulation that call on them for hitting a specific average for all the cars they sell combined, so they need EV's to bring down their average to compensate for the big thirsty cars. Ie. either they sell EV's and/or super economic petrol cars or they pay fines - the rules are so though makers like Porsche are likely willing to sell their EV's under cost rather than pay fines.

[@earthstick]

If you are going to review this one then how about the i-Pace?

[@rickc2102]

I'm sure he will as soon as one is offered him.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

They good, but still cheap inside. You pay for the "EV" status.

[@earthstick]

@@Robert-cu9bm It's better by about every measure than the Audi.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

@@earthstick I've only driven the i-pace so can't comment on the e-tron.

[@tris7]

I'll save everyone the time. The Audi is shite, if you have the money, buy the i-pace. Its faster, better looking, cheaper and more efficient- oh and its not an Audi so you won't look like a twat. Great review BTW- spot on.

[@josefv-y8m]

Range is not always the limiting factor for an EV. The etron is the only EV loading from 10% to 80% nearly constant at 150kw. Most EVs have only a small Peak at the documented highest level. Tesla Björn is doing 1000km Tests on his channel and the etron took 10:20h, while the Tesla Model 3 Longrange took 10:00 (the best in his list). Means Range and Efficency are two important factors for an EV, but the excellent loading curve is very, very important, too. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360000815988-Charging-with-an-Audi-e-tron The Hyundais and Kias have much better range, but due to very bad loading curve they are all slower on long distance than a eTron. support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/360001029367-Charging-with-a-Hyundai-KONA max at 77kw only and drops already at 40% If you calculate any route using abetterouteplanner.com you will see the same like the Test from Tesla Björn. eTron is always one of the best, if there are >150kw Chargers on the route.

[@peppybocan]

In the EV cars something like 30-50% of the price is the battery, so basically you are buying an overgrown Q5 with a heavy battery.

[@austinedwards1918]

As a company Audi have to make money its all about profit. Profit means more wages for the higher ups they are a car company that have to satisfy their investors. Its a business plan that works for them. Produce a a product that with marketing everybody wants but not need. Its a clever concept of business, make someone think thy need it and will be trendy like the music business, play it enough it becomes part of our consciousness that we feel we need to acquire the provided product. Its all about want as supposed to need its about desire and feeding into narcissistic one up man ship

[@edstratton]

Wow! Mr Negative! I was stunned, STUNNED by the amazing quality of the e-tron's interior so I'm shocked to see you spend a good percentage of this video slagging it. You didn't seem at all impressed by the quietness inside the car when driving, and yet the only car on the market that is quieter IMO is the Rolls Royce Phantom (I have seen other reviewers saying the same thing). I could go on. The reality is that if you want the *ultimate* LUXURY EV this is it. That is more than enough reason for many buyers to single this car out for purchase.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

The interior is the same as the rest of the Audi range

[@edstratton]

@@JayEmmOnCars My e-tron (which I've only had for a few days) is my first Audi, having owned numerous BMW, Mercedes, VW over the years, and all I can say is this is the sort of quality I wish I'd always had. Really can't fault it.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

@@edstratton I have driven most of the Audi range and honestly for the money the interior should have been better. It needs to stand out versus the competition

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

I believe Audi is to be complimented for the fact the e-tron is an Audi with a different engine. Not like the rolling smartphones Teslas are... I'm not rich enough to drive an EV, but if I were I would choose either the Benz or the Audi. The EV Jag also being an ugly car and that from the company that gave us the E-type, the XJ...

[@Shaggy12321]

I don’t leave comments very often on videos, but I feel like I have to with this one. I’m normally a very big fan of your reviews, but this really has missed the mark in many ways, I wonder if you had a bit of a dud vehicle? I recently purchased a 2022 Audi E Tron 55 SUV, and it is above and beyond the best vehicle I’ve ever driven every single respect. saying that there is absolutely " no reason" to buy one of these over something like a Jaguar ipace and model X is just completely incorrect. The Etron 55 does not have the best efficiency, but it is more than enough for the vast majority of people. The Jaguar pace and the model X, Mercedes EQC etc may have slightly better range and slightly better performance, but the performance from this 400 hp monster is more than enough, and getting over 220 to 240 miles of range consistently is far more than enough for the majority of people here in the UK (1.5 weeks of driving for me) this car also has the best comfort from any EV I’ve ever seen, it is significantly comfier than the ipace, has nicer seats and has a significantly better interior. The interior in this car is like it’s carved from stone, there are no rattles or squeaky bits, everything is solid metal solid quality plastic or leather. The UI is fantastic and snappy, and beats pretty much all other car entertainment systems into the dirt even in 2024. this car is also quieter than all of its competition, with better noise isolation. so if the range is enough for you, buying this car will get you an absolute beast of a performance vehicle, and something that is so comfortable, quiet, and luxurious, there is literally nothing out there that can rival it even close to this price point.

[@Medalofhonors]

This is like Kodak, they created digital cameras and decided it wouldn't work. They kept film and died off when they were left behind. That should be a warning to any manufacturer not making these cars. The only two problems for me are the sheer cost of the cars and the time it takes to refill them. When those two problems are resolved, the electric cars will fly off the shelves. The problem is that people use cars for ease of use, they make life easy, quick and simple. EVs are still in the teething stage and are yet to replace the standard vehicles. I do love the innovation that comes with them though.

[@tyrantwitness2482]

#Audi #Etron £88K 1.5 miles per KW @ 69 pence per KW at #Ionity ! Remember that joke about Audi's and the pineapple ! They're having a laugh !

[@thesal308]

Great review, I like your style.. subscribed.

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

I hope Audi do a better job with the wing mirror cameras than Mercedes do with the ones they put on their HGVs, the merc ones are low res, completely useless at night and the screens flicker if the car behind has LED lights.

[@robertl2856]

Sorry but i just do not think that this is the only way foward....short term maybe ?

[@jimmyjt16]

What's the reason for these things? Am I missing the point? At that price point you're never going to save any money. Poor range, they just seem to me like a massive inconvenience. Especially as theres no where to charge them.