Used Audi Q8 e-tron for sale: everything you need to know

Named simply Audi e-tron when it debuted in 2018, Audi added the Q8 moniker at the car’s 2022 facelift, helping to differentiate it - or at least, make it easier to search for online - from the numerous other e-tron models the brand has launched in recent years.

The facelift also brought with it larger battery packs to improve the Q8 e-tron’s range, with a few styling tweaks and equipment improvements too. It feels every bit the electric flagship, while regular SUV and swoopy-roofed Sportback variants give buyers a few styling options too.

If you’re looking for a high-end electric SUV like the Q8 e-tron, then you may also be interested in the BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQE, Volvo EX90, and the Tesla Model X - though Tesla’s decision to abandon right-hand drive on the Model X means supply of later models will dwindle.

Should you buy an Audi Q8 e-tron?

If you’re already sold on the Audi brand image and are looking to buy an electric SUV, then the Q8 e-tron isn’t a bad place to start, and thanks to extra equipment and greater range, it’s also a better effort than the e-tron badged model it replaced, despite outward similarities.

Audi claims just over 300 miles from the biggest-battery variants now, and while that’s more like mid-200s in the real world (and less in very cold weather), it makes the Q8 e-tron as usable as most rivals - all while getting down the road with impressive refinement and isolation from the outside world.

The Q8 e-tron is a big old thing, which is fine if you’re used to Audi’s larger SUVs but may feel a bit intimidating if you’re trading up. There’s plenty of performance and good grip, but you’d not call it nimble. Visibility isn’t bad either, but we’re not sold on the digital mirrors on some versions - after the hundredth time you’ve looked outside at the camera, where a proper mirror normally is, before looking down to the screen itself, the idea loses its appeal. Don’t pay extra for a used model with them fitted.

The cabin’s big and comfortable though, if a bit dour in its predominantly black colour schemes, it feels well built, and equipment levels even on the cheapest Sport model are very high indeed. It’s packed with safety kit too, and - those digital mirrors aside, which can be glitchy - reliability should be pretty solid.

Other premium electric SUVs to consider include the BMW iX, which has a more love-or-hate-it look than the Audi but a stunning interior and the promise of higher range numbers, and the Mercedes EQE SUV, which like the Audi is essentially an electric version of a conventional SUV, in this case the GLE. The Volvo EX90 is appealing too, while the Tesla Model X has Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network to fall back on - but later models are left-hand drive only.

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What’s the best used Audi Q8 e-tron model to buy?

There’s no real wrong answer here. You’ll need to decide how far you wish to go on a charge, since the 55 quattro adds around 40-45 miles to the 50 quattro’s claimed range, but if you don’t need those extra miles very regularly, you can save some money with the smaller battery. Both battery sizes are available on all trim levels too so there’s no equipment compromise, though you do get marginally lower performance in the 50.

Sport trim is very well equipped so you could stop there and be quite happy, though we can understand customers wanting to trade up to the larger alloy wheels and extra kit of the S Line. Vorsprung probably isn’t worth the outlay though - not least as its standard digital mirrors aren’t very easy to get on with.

Used Audi Q8 e-tron range and performance

• Audi Q8 e-tron 50 quattro: A pair of electric motors add up to a combined 340PS, for a 6-second 0-62mph time. 89kWh of usable battery capacity allows for a 258-262-mile range, with a 150kW fast charge taking the battery from 10-80% in just under half an hour.
• Audi Q8 e-tron 55 quattro: The 55 quattro makes a combined 408PS from its pair of motors, dropping the 0-62mph down to 5.6 seconds. Usable battery capacity grows to 106kWh, and the range goes up accordingly to 302-307 miles. The larger battery takes a little longer to charge, at just over 30 minutes from 10-80% capacity with a 170kW maximum rate.

What used Audi Q8 e-tron trim levels are available?

The Q8 e-tron gets Audi’s familiar trim level lineup, with Sport at the bottom of the range, followed by S Line, Black Edition, and range-topping Vorsprung lines. A quick look at even the Sport’s equipment list shows it’s far from being a typical ‘base’ model though, with more equipment than you’d see on a lot of top-end models from less premium brands.

• The Audi Q8 e-tron Sport gets 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, matrix LED headlights, aluminium window trims, a power tailgate, electric heated and folding door mirrors, an acoustic glazed windscreen, aluminium roof rails, keyless go, leather seats, heated front seats, two-zone air conditioning, a twin touchscreen setup and Virtual Cockpit display, cruise control with a speed limiter, 360-degree parking sensors and a rear view camera, and an 11kW onboard charger.
• The Audi Q8 e-tron S Line upgrades to 21-inch wheels, adaptive sports air suspension, S Line exterior styling, rear privacy glass, sports front seats, brushed aluminium interior inlays, a dark headlining, and leather dashboard trim.
• The Audi Q8 e-tron Black Edition gets black finish 21-inch wheels, gloss black exterior styling elements, black roof rails, mesh anthracite interior inlays, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.
• The Audi Q8 e-tron Vorsprung has 22-inch alloy wheels, digital matrix LED headlights, an illuminated grille, camera door mirrors, power closing doors, a panoramic roof, front super sports seats, front and rear seat heating, carbon interior inlays, Bang & Olufsen premium audio, a head-up display, and Audi’s Tour Pack, City Assist Pack, and Parking Assist Pack fitted as standard.

Used Audi Q8 e-tron dimensions and boot size

The Audi Q8 e-tron’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4915mm 
• Width: 1937mm (without mirrors), 2189mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1633mm

The Audi Q8 e-tron’s boot size is:

• 569 litres
• 1637 litres with the rear seats folded (to roof)

Used Audi Q8 e-tron road tax

Despite its size and performance, you still won’t currently pay a penny for annual VED on the Q8 e-tron, since all electric cars enjoy zero-rate vehicle tax until April 2025.

How much is it to insure an Audi Q8 e-tron?

As an electric SUV near the top of Audi’s range, it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that the Q8 e-tron is unlikely to be cheap to insure. Insurance groups range from 48 to the maximum 50, though this isn’t actually much higher than the petrol and diesel Q8 range, which can be found in groups 47-50.

Read our full Audi Q8 e-tron review