Audi Q4 e-tron 40.
The most popular electric Audi in Poland. Numbers vs showroom storytelling.

The Q4 e-tron is the most popular electric Audi in Poland and one of the most common fleet choices of 2024. Although it shares the MEB platform with the VW ID.4 (in engineering terms they are effectively the same car), Audi has managed to add a premium layer that justifies the PLN 30,000 price difference.

The launch in June 2021 was the moment Audi moved from electric supercars (e-tron GT) into the mainstream. The Q4 e-tron is the first "sensible" electric Audi: not huge, not crazy, just a solid family SUV. Sales passed 200,000 in Europe by the end of 2024.

Audi, together with VW Group, chose the MEB (Modular Electric Drive) platform as the base for all EVs in the compact and C segments. The Q4 e-tron is an ID.4 with a more luxurious interior, a better-tuned chassis and a progressive exterior design. Same guts, different suit.

The Audi Q4 e-tron 40 is a premium compact BEV SUV. Built on the MEB platform (shared with the VW ID.4), it offers a purely electric drivetrain without the compromises of a combustion engine. The car was launched in 2021 and received its LCI facelift in 2024.

Unlike plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and classic hybrids (HEV), the Audi Q4 e-tron 40 is a fully electric car (BEV). There's no petrol engine, no fuel tank, no exhaust. All of its range comes from the battery, which you charge from a socket. Its most important trait comes from that category: a single overnight charging session is enough for the daily commute.

The pack, 82 kWh gross and 77 kWh net, comes from Korea's LG Energy Solution. The NCM 622 cells (60-20-20) are more conservative in terms of density than 811, but offer better cycle life. It's a deliberate choice: Audi positions the Q4 as a car for 10+ years.

A 5 kWh buffer protects the cells. Audi guarantees the pack for 8 years or 160,000 kilometres, down to 70 per cent of capacity. Real-world measurements from 2021-2022 Q4 e-tron cars show 2-3 per cent degradation per year. After the 2024 LCI, thermal management was improved.

The 2024 Q4 e-tron LCI got an 82 kWh battery as standard (previously it was 77 kWh net from 82 gross), new BMS software and a heat pump as standard. DC was raised from 135 kW to 175 kW. Range went up by 40 km.

The Q4 e-tron 40 (RWD) has a single PMSM synchronous motor at the rear producing 210 kW (286 hp) and 545 Nm. Single-speed reduction gearbox. The 50 quattro version has an additional motor at the front (80 kW), giving a total output of 299 hp.

The Q4 e-tron offers Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual modes. There's no Sport mode like in the real S/RS saloons - that's a deliberate positioning choice (a family car, not a sports car). Real-world consumption of 17-20 kWh/100 km in the combined cycle.

The Audi Q4 e-tron 40 has a built-in onboard charger, or OBC (On-Board Charger), with a limit of 11 kW (three-phase, 16 A). That means that whatever the external source (wallbox, portable charger, public AC station), the car will physically cap the power at that value. Standard Type 2 (Mennekes) connector.

Audi deliberately gave the whole Q4 range 11 kW AC (even though the e-tron GT has 22 kW). The reason: the Q4 customer charges at home overnight and doesn't need fast AC. DC at 175 kW (post-LCI) takes care of the road-trip scenario.

The most common sales myth: dealers suggest that the fastest home charging is a wallbox. That's a half-truth. A wallbox is simply a charger in a wall-mounted housing. From the car's point of view there's no difference between an 11 kW wallbox and an 11 kW portable charger plugged into a CEE socket. The charging parameters are identical. For the Audi Q4 e-tron 40 you'll get the fastest home charging from a portable charger or a wallbox rated at 11 kW. The portable one has an edge: you can take it to the summer house, to a hotel, to your in-laws.

The Audi Q4 e-tron 40 doesn't exist in a vacuum. The premium compact BEV SUV segment has three natural rivals worth comparing it with on charging, range and price. Each of them has a different philosophy and different strengths.

The third important rival in the segment: BMW iX1 xDrive30. 11-22 kW AC, 64.7 kWh net, 313 hp, 440 km. A smaller battery but faster AC.

When does the Audi Q4 e-tron 40 win? A specific combination of parameters: battery, power, charging and price. For most customers in Poland it's still one of the best choices in the segment. When does it lose? The WLTP range of 528 km is, in some versions, lower than the competition's. But for 90 per cent of users it's enough anyway.

The Audi Q4 e-tron 40 has been tested by leading Polish and European motoring media and by independent EV market experts. The testers' consensus is clear: a solid car with specific strengths and weaknesses. Below is a summary of the main findings from industry tests by the motoring press and EV market analyses.

According to industry tests by the motoring press, the Q4 e-tron in its 40 version does 400-440 km of real-world range, and as much as 480 km in summer. It's a realistic assessment worth taking into account before you buy.

Independent road tests highlight the handling: Audi did something with the MEB platform that VW couldn't: it set up the steering assistance in a way that feels pleasant. That matters to people who value driving dynamics.

Industry analyses of the EV market indicate that 11 kW AC is the segment standard, and Q4 customers mostly charge at home anyway. That matches exactly what we see at Ampere Point.

That's exactly how we see it at Ampere Point. A customer buying an Audi Q4 e-tron 40 gets a car designed for overnight 11 kW charging. Our Q11 and P11 portable chargers are a perfect match: the full 11 kW, a Type 2 cable, 7 hours to a full battery. No wallbox, no electrician, no cutting into the wall.

The Audi Q4 e-tron 40 is a choice for someone who wants a premium compact BEV SUV with a fully electric drivetrain. It's a perfect fit when: your daily commute fits within the battery's range, you have access to a socket in the garage or car park, and you accept the need for DC on the road. Charger recommendation: if you value in-app consumption monitoring and night tariff integration, choose Q11 (PLN 1,349). If a simple, reliable charger is enough for you, go for P11 (PLN 999). Both deliver the full 11 kW, both charge the Audi Q4 e-tron 40 in 7 hours, both can come with you on holiday. A 22 kW wallbox bought for an Audi Q4 e-tron 40 is a classic example of a solution looking for a problem - don't let the showroom talk you into that kind of investment.