However, don’t get too excited because it won’t be an all-new SUV with zero emissions. Instead, it will take the shape of the E-Tron facelift with a different identity. The large vehicle will still ride on an electric adaptation of the MLB platform intended for models with combustion engines. In other words, you’ll still have to live with some compromises in terms of packaging compared to an EV riding on a bespoke electric architecture.

We won’t be entirely surprised if the Four Rings will indeed switch to the fresh designation since continuing to simply use “E-Tron” would be a tad confusing. The current nameplate doesn’t reflect how the EV is positioned in relation to the existing global Q4 E-Tron and China’s Q5 E-Tron. It would be even more difficult to figure out its positioning once the Q6 E-Tron is going to be revealed later in 2022.

As previously reported, the mid-cycle update for the fullsize electric SUV is rumored to come with an upgraded battery to increase the range to 373 miles (600 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. That would certainly represent good news since the current version is rated at a rather disappointing 249 miles in Europe. In the United States, EPA rates the E-Tron at 222 miles or 10 miles if you opt for the hotter S derivative pictured here. Go for the E-Tron S with the bigger 21- or 22-inch wheels and the range drops to just 181 miles.

According to the same report published by Automobilwoche, Audi will borrow styling cues from the smaller Q4 E-Tron compact electric crossover. The Q8 E-Tron is scheduled to go on sale in 2023 and will allegedly be retired in 2025. The all-new namesake model riding on an EV-only platform won’t arrive until about a year later.

Source: Automobilwoche (subscription required)

The post Audi E-Tron facelift changing name to Q8 E-Tron from late 2022: Report appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

Markus Duesmann said the range-topping electric SUV from the Four Rings will be assembled in Belgium at the same factory in Forest where the current E-Tron is built alongside the sleeker E-Tron Sportback. The existing zero-emissions SUVs use an adaptation of the MLB platform, which was originally developed for vehicles with gasoline and diesel engines. That will change with the all-new model as it will be conceived from day one strictly with an electric setup.

Before the Q8 E-Tron arrives, the existing E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback will both receive a facelift at some point next year. The styling changes will include redesigned headlights and a new grille, while the taillights will retain the current shape and adopt fresh LED graphics. There are going to be additional modifications underneath the skin as sources say a better battery will be installed, along with more energy-efficient electric motors.

These hardware changes will be implemented in order to boost the maximum range of the two electric SUVs, which isn’t that great when you compare them to the new wave of dedicated EVs. An electric car built on an architecture initially conceived for gasoline or diesel vehicles will always be compromised in terms of packaging, but Audi wants to minimize that deficit with next year’s revisions.

2022 will also mark the launch of the Q6 E-Tron, a dedicated electric SUV on the PPE platform that Audi and Porsche have been working on during the last few years. The same dedicated electric car underpinnings will also be put to good use for a Sportback-styled A6 E-Tron arriving before the middle of the decade.

Source: RTL Info

The post Audi Q8 E-Tron officially announced for 2026 launch appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

Automobilwoche, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe, cites sources within Audi, claiming the Q8 E-Tron will replace the existing gasoline-and diesel-fueled Q8 built in Bratislava, Slovakia. The current model has already been electrified with mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and it seems it will abandon the ICE altogether for its next iteration.

Before starting the assembly of the Q8 E-Tron in 2026, Audi’s Brussels factory will kick off the production of a facelifted E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback. Both are due in 2023 and will be available for approximately three years before they’ll be replaced by the Q8 E-Tron.

The decision to discontinue the two E-Tron electric SUVs is logical seeing as how they’re based on the MLB Evo platform originally intended for cars equipped with combustion engines. Their replacement, the Q8 E-Tron, will be developed from day one strictly as an EV with greater range and a spacious interior thanks to a long wheelbase and a flat-floor design.

Bear in mind that before all this happens, 2022 will be the year when Audi is going to introduce the Q6 E-Tron riding on the PPE platform co-developed with Porsche. The latter will launch its own all-electric Macan to signal the expansion of its EV portfolio in the coming years. The Four Rings are also working on a flagship electric sedan codenamed “Landjet” to sit above the E-Tron GT from 2024.

Meanwhile, Automobilwoche reports the final decision regarding where the Q8 E-Tron is going to be manufactured will be taken in November this year.

Source: Automobilwoche (subscription required) via Automotive News Europe

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