In-depth reviews

Audi Q8 e-tron running costs & insurance

The usual electric-car advantages apply here, but there's no getting around the fact the Audi Q8 e-tron is expensive to buy

Overall rating

4.0 out of 5

Running costs & insurance rating

3.5 out of 5

Insurance groupWarrantyService intervalAnnual company-car tax cost (20%/40%)
44-503yrs/60,000 miles2yrs/19,000 milesFrom £271/£542

Like all electric cars, the cost-per-mile of running the Audi Q8 e-tron depends on where you charge it most, what energy tariff you're on and how heavily you depend on public charging networks.

We’d recommend doing some sums before taking the plunge. Work out how many miles you expect to cover and what type of charging you expect to use most often. If you can take advantage of off-peak rates at home, even something like the Q8 e-tron could cost mere pennies to run.

However, as you might expect of a flagship £60k-plus electric SUV, insurance prices are high, and you’ll still need to factor in regular servicing. But if you’re currently running a petrol or diesel model and are looking at a Q8 e-tron as a company car, then you could save a pretty penny on Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax.

Audi e-tron insurance group

Due to their performance and price, the Q8 55 e-tron (bar the entry-level Sport trim) and the range-topping SQ8 e-tron sit in the very top insurance group 50. The less expensive 50 e-tron model isn't going to cost significantly less to cover, as it's only one group lower.

Warranty

The Q8 e-tron is covered by Audi's standard three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer guarantee, however there's also an eight-year/100,000-mile policy that covers the battery.  This means it'll be replaced if its performance or ability to hold charge degrades excessively in that time.

Servicing

The Audi needs servicing every two years or 19,000 miles, but servicing is included for four years if you buy the car on Audi finance. There are also fixed-rate servicing deals on offer if you don’t go down that route, starting at £415 per year, which can be spread out into monthly payments. 

Road tax

The Audi Q8 e-tron is currently zero-rated for road tax (VED), but like all electric cars that will end in 2025. The same applies to EV’s exemption from the London Congestion Charge.

Richard is editor of DrivingElectric, as well as sister site Carbuyer.co.uk, and a regular contributor to Auto Express. An electric and hybrid car advocate, he spent more than five years working on the news and reviews desk at Auto Express and has driven almost every new car currently on sale.

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