The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The All-Electric Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron

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Audi AG, a Bavaria (Germany) based luxury automotive manufacturer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, the Germany automotive group. Volkswagen AG is one of the leading automotive companies in the global electric vehicle (EV) industry. Volkswagen has committed to an investment up to Euro 30 billion by 2023. It aims to sell 3 million electric vehicles by 2025 and launch up to 70 new EV models over the next 10 years. Audi electric vehicles (EVs) include:

• Q4 e-tron
• Q4 Sportback e-tron
• e-tron
• e-tron Sportback
• e-tron S
• e-tron S Sportback
• e-tron GT
• RS e-tron GT

The Audi Q4 e-tron electric compact crossover SUV is based on the Volkswagen MEB bespoke EV platform (the all-electric Volkswagen ID.4 uses the same platform). Production of the Q4 electric SUV commenced in March 2021 and the production Q4 e-tron version was unveiled in April 2021. However, the Q4 e-tron was first shown as a concept vehicle in 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Q4 e-tron is available in the SUV and Sportback body styles.

For those seeking a sportier exterior styling, the coupé-SUV roofline of the Q4 e-tron Sportback will appeal. Of course, given the sleeker roof, headroom is compromised in the cabin and rear-view visibility impacted. However, in return, the aerodynamics and efficiency of the electric vehicle is improved, compared to a more traditional SUV body style.

The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is available in two EV battery sizes: 55 kWh and 82 kWh. The 55 kWh EV battery has a claimed zero-emission electric range up to 340 km (WLTP), sufficient for most day-to-day driving needs. Do keep in mind that most daily commutes are short distances, and usually below 20 km.

The 340 km pure electric range is also sufficient for motorway driving. For those families and company-car drivers keen on more electric range, the 82 kWh EV battery offers a range up to 515 km on a full charge.

Of course, the real-world EV range will be impacted by a number of factors, to include: driving profile, weather conditions, road surface, tyre size, passenger load, onboard services used etc. Expect the 55 kWh EV battery to deliver an electric range closer to 290 km and the 82 kWh closer to 400 km.

The electric vehicle (EV) offers DC charging capability up to 135 kW, with 80% charge achieved in 36 minutes. The entry-level Q4 35 e-tron can be DC charged up to 110 kW and has a 7.2 kW onboard charger.

The higher specification Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50 e-tron offer DC charging up to 135 kW as standard and incorporates a 11 kW onboard charger. For single-phase home charging, expect a fully charged battery in 11 hours and 30 minutes. We at e-zoomed recommend charging an EV overnight, when the electricity tariff rates are cheaper.

The all-wheel drive capability is only available on the highest trim, the 50 e-tron, while the other two trims offer rear-wheel drive as standard. The Q4 50 e-tron achieves 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds and has a 180 km/h top speed (torque: 460 Nm). The Q4 40 e-tron achieves 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and has a 160 km/h top speed. The entry-level Q4 35 e-tron achieves 0-100 km/h in 9 seconds and has a 160 km/h top speed.

The exterior of the Audi EV is attractive and the interior does not disappoint in terms of quality and layout. The standard equipment includes: Audi virtual cockpit; MMI navigation plus with a 11.6″ touchscreen, lane departure warning, cruise control with speed limiter, swerve assist and turn assist, Audi pre-sense front and more.

In terms of practicality, the headroom for rear seat passengers is less compared to the Q4 standard SUV. Moreover, the rear-view visibility is also impacted. The boot size on offer is useful (535 L) and slightly larger than the standard SUV body style (520 L).

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet. The Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron is not available in India, however, other Audi electric cars are available in India.

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PROS	CONS
Two EV battery sizes available	All-wheel drive not standard on all trim levels
DC charging up to 135 kW	135 kW DC charging and 11 kW AC charging not standard on all variants
Attractive sporty exterior styling and high quality interior specification and equipment	Roofline impacts headroom and rear visibility

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The All-Electric Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron (credit: Audi)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Body Type:	Coupé-SUV
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	No

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Trims (1 Option)
Audi Q4 Sportback (Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in two battery sizes: 55 kWh/ 82 kWh
Charging:	Up to 135 kW DC charging (5%-80%: 36 mins). Onboard charger: 7.2 kW (0%-100%: 11 hrs 30 mins) and 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1614
Width (mm):	2108
Length (mm):	4588
Wheelbase (mm):	2764
Turning Circle (m):	10.2
Boot Space (L):	535

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Q4 Sportback 35 e-tron
EV Battery Capacity:	55 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	340 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	18.1 – 17.0
Charging:	110 kW DC charging. Onboard charger: 7.2 kW AC (0%-100%: 11 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	9.0 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	125
Max Power (PS):	170
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight (kg):	1,895
Colours:	8
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron
EV Battery Capacity:	82 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	515 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	17.7 – 17.2
Charging:	135 kW DC charging. Onboard charger: 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	8.5 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	150
Max Power (PS):	204
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight (kg):	2,045
Colours:	8
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron
EV Battery Capacity:	82 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	487 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	19.2 – 17.9
Charging:	135 kW DC charging. Onboard charger: 11 kW AC (0%-100%: 7 hrs 30 mins)
Top Speed:	180 km/h
0-100 km/h:	6.2 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	220
Max Power (PS):	299
Torque (Nm):	460
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight (kg):	2,140
Colours:	8
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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India Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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India, like many other countries, is well positioned to benefit from the shift to zero-tailpipe emission electric driving. Road transportation is a major contributor to air pollution (over 30%), choking our towns, cities and villages across India.

Diesel vehicles, in particular, diesel trucks and diesel buses, are significant sources for tailpipe emissions. But given the rise in the standard of living, since liberalisation, the demand for privately owned passenger cars has increased at an unprecedented pace, further worsening the air quality. India has more than 3 crores (30 million) cars releasing tailpipe emissions on its roads!

Though we have seen some improvements in air quality during the ongoing pandemic (as a result of lower vehicle traffic), India’s shift to electric driving will be key in achieving long-term higher air quality. Of course, apart from EVs, the continued development of green and renewable energy infrastructure will be key in achieving lower long-term air pollution.

India has already demonstrated global leadership in regards to large-scale solar and wind projects! Hopefully, India will replicate the success with zero-emission electric vehicles.

Despite recent announcements and support from local and national government agencies in India, the EV market is still at a nascent stage, well, at least in terms of electric cars and electric vans. Two-wheel electric scooters and three-wheel electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws) have demonstrated a strong uptake, and India is poised to become a global leader in electric scooters and electric rickshaws (e-tuk).

In fact, the ubiquitous e-rickshaw commands an impressive 83% of the Indian electric vehicle market. India currently has over 15 lakhs (1.5 million) e-rickshaws, with each EV playing a role in reducing tailpipe emissions on our roads in India.

Sales of passenger electric cars is still at an early stage. In FY2021, though the market witnessed a growth of nearly 110% from the previous year, the absolute volume of cars sold was only 5,905 electric cars. Currently there are less that 15 pure electric car models available on sale in India.

Tata Motors, the biggest automotive manufacturer in India has launched the Tata Nexon electric SUV. Mahindra Electric, another leading Indian automotive manufacturer, has also launched a number of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), to include, the Mahindra eVerito electric car, Mahindra eSupro electric van and Mahindra e2o Plus compact electric car.

International manufacturers, like UK based MG Motors, have also launched the MG ZS electric SUV in India. Also available are the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV and the Hyundai Kona electric SUV.

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Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), more commonly referred to simply as, electric vehicles (EVs) or as plug-in electric cars, have come a long way over the past decade and certainly a long way over the past 100 years.

Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation.  Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages.  In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage.  Instead the avenue was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention at that time. 

We are now witnessing a similar fundamental shift in road transportation, as polluting internal combustion engines (ICE) petrol and diesel vehicles are being replaced by low-emission and zero-emission electric vehicles. In countries like the United Kingdom, a leader in e-mobility, we can expect a comprehensive replacement of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 (UK will ban the sale of new ICE cars in 2030). The UK is not the only country that has a vision of a mass transition to zero-tailpipe emission electric cars.

Since 2011, the global electric vehicle (EV) market has increased at a year-over-year growth rate of over 50%. In 2020, according to the Global EV Outlook 2021 report, the global stock of electric vehicles (EVs) had surpassed 10 million units.

In 2015, the Global stock was just over 1 million units. In 2020, Europe accounted for the largest share of new car registrations of EVs (1.4 million registered electric vehicles), followed by China (1.2 million electric vehicles). In Europe, countries like Norway, Iceland and Sweden continue to show strong leadership in the transition to electric driving. In Norway more than 75% of new cars are electric, followed by 50% in Iceland and 30% in Sweden.

However, this is not just a western phenomenon. A number of countries across the world have announced their support for electric cars, to include India. Pure electric cars are now common sightings in a number of global markets, and EV automotive manufacturers, like California based Tesla Motors are now household brands.

Traditional automotive manufactures have also shown significant commitment to the migration to electric engines, to include Volvo Cars, the Volkswagen Group, Renault, Nissan, Peugeot, Hyundai, Mercedes, Land Rover and many more. Forecast for the sale of EVs suggest up to 30 million electric vehicles to be sold before the end of the current decade.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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