Skip advert
Advertisement

Tesla Model Y vs Audi Q4 e-tron: range and charging

The Model Y Long Range falls short of the distance the equivalent Model 3 manages on a charge, but it's efficient and offers great recharging speed

Tesla Model Y

The Audi Q4 e-tron uses the same mechanical platform as several other electric cars from the Volkswagen Group, including the Cupra Born hatchback, the Skoda Enyaq iV SUV and the Volkswagen ID.5 coupe-SUV. Like those cars, while the entry-level version has a 52kWh battery and a range of around 200 miles, the range-topping all-wheel-drive variant (which we have here) features a larger 77kWh battery for a close-to-300-mile range. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

There are also two versions of the Model Y – the range-topping Performance and the less expensive Long Range, which is what we drove. The latter can cover up to 315 miles on a charge according to Tesla, thanks to its 75kWh battery. 

Like the Model 3 saloon it shares a platform with, the Model Y benefits from a heat pump to warm the cabin, but, the equivalent Model 3 Long Range can cover up to 360 miles when fully charged. This reduction in range is due to the Model Y’s greater weight. 

During our time with the cars, the Audi achieved 3.4 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy, which translates to a real-world range of 279 miles. The Model Y on the other hand, returned 3.8 miles per kWh – enough for a real-world range of 285 miles. But the Tesla covered more motorway miles during our time with it, so we’d expect that number to be even higher if you stick to town driving. Plus, we also found that turning the Audi’s climate control on trimmed around 12 miles from its predicted range.

Charging

When it comes to rapid charging, there's little to separate these cars, but the Tesla just edges ahead. The top-spec version of the Audi can recharge at up to 125kW, which is fast enough to go from 10-80% battery capacity in 34 minutes. The Model Y is capable of charging at over 200kW, so if you use one of Tesla’s latest V3 superchargers, it'll top the car up from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes.

However, most of your charging will probably be done from a home wallbox, potentially overnight. Due to their similarly sized batteries, it takes around the same time to fully recharge both cars from a standard 7.4kW unit – 11-and-a-half hours for the Q4 e-tron with the 72kWh battery, and 11 hours 45 minutes for the Model Y.

Skip advert
Advertisement

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.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Top 10 best hybrid estate cars 2025
Best hybrid estate cars
Best cars

Top 10 best hybrid estate cars 2025

The best hybrid estate cars you can buy right now save you money on fuel and still have lots of space inside. Here are our top picks
4 Dec 2024
MINI Aceman review
MINI Aceman - front tracking
In-depth reviews

MINI Aceman review

MINI’s all-electric small SUV is just as fun as the brand’s staple hatch, with an added layer of practicality
10 Dec 2024
Jaguar Type 00 finally revealed – dramatic concept maps out British brand’s luxury electric future
Jaguar Type 00 - front 3/4 static
News

Jaguar Type 00 finally revealed – dramatic concept maps out British brand’s luxury electric future

Jaguar has revealed the concept car on which its 'reimagining' as a super luxury electric carmaker is based
3 Dec 2024