Connect with us
Audi renames e-tron to Q8 e-tron & adds more range with a new design Audi renames e-tron to Q8 e-tron & adds more range with a new design

News

Audi renames e-tron to Q8 e-tron & adds more range with a new design

Credit: Audi

Published

on

Audi renamed its e-tron electric SUV to the Audi Q8 e-tron and announced some new changes along with the new name. In 2018, Audi introduced the e-tron, marking its first move into the electric vehicle industry. Four years and 150,000 unit sales later, the automaker announced the new name and changes to its EV, along with plans to have more than 20 electric models in its portfolio by 2026.

Credit: Audi

Audi currently has eight electric models, including the Q4 e-tron crossover, e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT sport, A6 and Q6 e-trons, and its electric Sportback EV. There are also the Q2L and Q5 e-trons in the Chinese market.

The automaker said that by renaming the vehicle, it is making a statement that the Audi Q8 e-tron is the top model among its EVs. The Audio Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron are made with new front and rear designs made with the automaker’s Singleframe mask, inverted grill, and blade above the redesigned rear diffuser, which the automaker pointed out, makes these vehicles easily identifiable.

Credit: Audi

A key change in the vehicle includes a 114-kilowatt-hour battery pack that fits into the same space as the previous 95-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The new battery pack is able to take up the same amount of physical space as the older one by using a new stacking technology that enables the cells to be stacked, filling it more.

Although Audi doesn’t have an EPA range rating for the new Q8 e-tron just yet, the automaker has a goal of 300 miles set, according to Carter Balkcom, its Product Marketing manager. In a briefing, Balkcom said,

“We know how important it is to have a range number that starts with a ‘3, and so I can tell you that around 300 miles is what we’ve set as our goal, and we’re pushing hard to get there.”

In its press release, the automaker noted that the electric SUV and crossover have improved aerodynamics, higher charging performance, battery capacity, and increased range of up to 582 kilometers for the SUV version and 600 kilometers for the Sportback version.

Advertisement
-->
Credit: Audi.

The automaker noted that under ideal conditions, the new EV can completely charge in around nine hours and 15 minutes using alternating current. At 22kW, charging can take up to around four hours and 45 minutes. Audi also plans to launch a new charging service in 2023 that will replace the existing e-tron charging service.

The new Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron will be available to order starting in mid-November, with a market launch planned at the end of February 2023 in Germany. In the U.S., Audi expects the model by the end of April. The base price for the Q8 e-tron in Germany will be €74,00. Currently, pricing for the U.S. hasn’t been announced.

Credit: Audi

Your feedback is essential. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.

Teslarati is now on TikTok. Follow us for interactive news & more. Teslarati is now on TikTok. Follow us for interactive news & more. You can also follow Teslarati on LinkedInTwitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

 

Advertisement
-->

Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge writer covering Tesla, Elon Musk, EVs, and clean energy & supports Tesla's mission. Johnna also interviewed Elon Musk and you can listen here

Advertisement
Comments

Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck undergoes interior mod that many owners wanted

Published

on

tesla cybertruck diy bench seat
Credit: @blueskykites | X

Tesla Cybertruck is significantly different from traditional pickups on the market in a lot of ways. However, one feature that was recently modified with its interior was a highly requested characteristic that is present in other trucks, but was void from Cybertruck.

Tesla went with a five-seat configuration with Cybertruck: two in the front and three in the back. The spacious interior is matched with plenty of storage, especially up front, as a pass-through, center console, and other storage options, but some Tesla fans wanted something different: bench seating.

Bench seating is popular in many full-size pickups and allows three passengers to sit up front. The middle seat is usually accompanied by a fold-down storage unit with cupholders.

Tesla decided to opt for no bench seating up front, despite the fact that it equipped bench seating in the unveiling in 2019. Interior photos from the unveiling event from nearly six-and-a-half years ago show Tesla had originally planned to have a six-seat configuration.

This was adjusted after the company refined the design:

Advertisement
-->
tesla cybertruck initial interior

(Tesla Cybertruck interior configuration in 2019)

Despite Tesla abandoning this design, it does not mean owners were willing to accept it. One owner decided to modify their Tesla Cybertruck interior to equip that third seat between the driver’s and passenger’s thrones.

The fit is snug, and while it looks great, it is important to remember that this does not abide byregulations, as it would require an airbag to be technically legal. Please do not do this at home with your own Cybertruck:

The Cybertruck is a popular vehicle in terms of publicity, but its sales have been underwhelming since first delivered to customers back in 2023. It’s hard to believe it’s been out for two-and-a-half years, but despite this, Tesla has not been able to come through on its extensive order sheet.

This is mostly due to price, as Cybertruck was simply not as affordable as Tesla originally planned. Its three configurations were initially priced at $39,990, $49,990, and $69,990. At release, Cybertruck was priced above $100,000.

This priced out many of those who had placed orders, which is the main reason Cybertruck has not lived up to its expectations in terms of sales. The adjustments to the specific features, like the removal of the bench seat, likely did not impact sales as much as pricing did.

This modification shows some creativity by Tesla owners, but also shows that the Cybertruck could always be the subject of a potential refresh to include some of these features. Tesla routinely adjusts its vehicle designs every few years, so maybe the Cybertruck could get something like this if it chooses to refresh its all-electric pickup.

Advertisement
-->

 

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk drops massive bomb about Cybercab

“And there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface,” Musk said.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a massive bomb about the Cybercab, which is the company’s fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle that will enter production later this year.

The Cybercab was unveiled back in October 2024 at the company’s “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles, and is among the major catalysts for the company’s growth in the coming years. It is expected to push Tesla into a major growth phase, especially as the automaker is transitioning into more of an AI and Robotics company than anything else.

The Cybercab will enable completely autonomous ride-hailing for Tesla, and although its other vehicles will also be capable of this technology, the Cybercab is slightly different. It will have no steering wheel or pedals, and will allow two occupants to travel from Point A to Point B with zero responsibilities within the car.

Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production

Details on the Cybercab are pretty face value at this point: we know Tesla is enabling 1-2 passengers to ride in it at a time, and this strategy was based on statistics that show most ride-hailing trips have no more than two occupants. It will also have in-vehicle entertainment options accessible from the center touchscreen.

Advertisement
-->

It will also have wireless charging capabilities, which were displayed at “We, Robot,” and there could be more features that will be highly beneficial to riders, offering a full-fledged autonomous experience.

Musk dropped a big hint that there is much more to the Cybercab than what we know, as a post on X said that “there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface.”

As the Cybercab is expected to enter production later this year, Tesla is surely going to include a handful of things they have not yet revealed to the public.

Advertisement
-->

Musk seems to be indicating that some of the features will make it even more groundbreaking, and the idea is to enable a truly autonomous experience from start to finish for riders. Everything from climate control to emergency systems, and more, should be included with the car.

It seems more likely than not that Tesla will make the Cybercab its smartest vehicle so far, as if its current lineup is not already extremely intelligent, user-friendly, and intuitive.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla Q4 delivery numbers are better than they initially look: analyst

The Deepwater Asset Management Managing Partner shared his thoughts in a post on his website.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Longtime Tesla analyst and Deepwater Asset Management Managing Partner Gene Munster has shared his insights on Tesla’s Q4 2025 deliveries. As per the analyst, Tesla’s numbers are actually better than they first appear. 

Munster shared his thoughts in a post on his website. 

Normalized December Deliveries

Munster noted that Tesla delivered 418k vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2025, slightly below Street expectations of 420k but above the whisper number of 415k. Tesla’s reported 16% year-over-year decline, compared to +7% in September, is largely distorted by the timing of the tax credit expiration, which pulled forward demand.

“Taking a step back, we believe September deliveries pulled forward approximately 55k units that would have otherwise occurred in December or March. For simplicity, we assume the entire pull-forward impacted the December quarter. Under this assumption, September growth would have been down ~5% absent the 55k pull-forward, a Deepwater estimate tied to the credit’s expiration.

For December deliveries to have declined ~5% year over year would imply total deliveries of roughly 470k. Subtracting the 55k units pulled into September results in an implied December delivery figure of approximately 415k. The reported 418k suggests that, when normalizing for the tax credit timing, quarter-over-quarter growth has been consistently down ~5%. Importantly, this ~5% decline represents an improvement from the ~13% declines seen in both the March and June 2025 quarters.

Advertisement
-->

Tesla’s United States market share

Munster also estimated that Q4 as a whole might very well show a notable improvement in Tesla’s market share in the United States. 

“Over the past couple of years, based on data from Cox Automotive, Tesla has been losing U.S. EV market share, declining to just under 50%. Based on data for October and November, Cox estimates that total U.S. EV sales were down approximately 35%, compared to Tesla’s just reported down 16% for the full quarter.  For the first two months of the quarter, Cox reported Tesla market share of roughly a 65% share, up from under 50% in the September quarter.

“While this data excludes December, the quarter as a whole is likely to show a material improvement in Tesla’s U.S. EV market share.

Continue Reading