► Month 6 with the Audi SQ8
► Stretching out the kWh
► Is it actually economical?
The SQ8 had a crazy five days piling on 995 miles, with return trips to the Ruhr valley and South Yorkshire.
Getting the SQ8 onto a motorway, autoroute or autobahn revealed an ability to be economical at significant speeds. Cruising through France, Belgium and Germany at 80mph, the Audi returned 2.45 miles per kWh. With the UK’s lower limit, it clocked 2.65 miles per kWh to Rotherham and back.
It’s aided by air suspension that lowers the body at speed, active grille closure, numerous underbody aero features and a dormant front motor at cruise. That said, reasonable motor-way economy only makes my 1.7 miles per kWh urban average look even more tragic.
Logbook: Audi SQ8 e-Tron Black Edition (month 6)
Price: £103,310
Performance: 106kWh battery, three e-motors, 496bhp, 4.5sec 0-62mph, 130mph
Efficiency: 2.2 miles per kWh (official), 1.8 miles per kWh (tested), 0g/km CO2
Range: 269 miles (official), 191 miles (tested)
Energy cost: 20.0p per mile
Miles this month: 1404
Total miles: 6722