Audi E-tron GT long-term test
Our testing has shown that this electric performance car is thrilling to drive, but is it also enjoyable to live with? We're finding out...
The car Audi E-tron GT quattro Run by Steve Huntingford, editor
Why it’s here To see if Audi's electric performance car can also be a good everyday car
Needs to Combine the thrilling drive you’d expect with a level of comfort and usability you might not
Mileage 2418 List price £88,605 Best price £79,980 Price as tested £92,700 Test range 310 miles Official range 383 miles
22 February – Clean machine
It was seven years ago, but I can clearly remember the exact moment when electric cars first started to appeal to me.
I was walking the short distance to my local convenience store, which is positioned right by a set of traffic lights, so frequently has a line of vehicles (including filthy buses) chugging away outside. However, I’d never previously been concerned by that.
The difference on this occasion was I had my daughter – who was just one year old at the time – tottering along beside me. And I suddenly became very aware that her face wasn’t much farther from the ground than the various exhaust pipes.
True, most modern petrol cars have stop-start systems, which switch off their engines when they come to a halt. Yet even these often have to fire up again before it’s time to move on, given the interminable amount of time you can spend waiting for a green light in London.
I now think about air quality in a way that I never previously did, then, but I’d still rather not compromise my lifestyle if I can help it. And that’s one of the great things about my Audi E-tron GT: it doesn’t require me to.
In this car, I can drive my daughter to school without having to worry about what’s coming out the back as I pass other pupils and their parents.
But when I need to get to a video shoot in the middle of nowhere (as I did a few days ago) I can get there and back without having to stop to recharge, because more than 300 miles between top-ups is perfectly realistic – even in winter.
The comfort and quietness that the E-tron GT offers on long drives like this only adds to my feeling of contentment.
And despite the purpose of this trip being to get to some quiet, winding roads for the shoot of a two-seater sports car, I had at least as much fun in my car once I'd switched it into the Dynamic mode, which firms up the suspension and generally makes everything feel more taut and responsive.
Indeed, I just have one area of complaint so far, and that’s build quality. Some of the materials Audi has used inside the E-tron GT aren’t as special as I think they should be. And the trim around the central infotainment screen has come loose on one side.
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