Audi is reportedly considering the discontinuation of the Audi Q8 e-tron, the company’s first all-electric crossover. The decision is due to high production costs and low demand. The Q8 e-tron is considered a rival to the similarly sized, more affordable Cadillac Lyriq, although the Q8 e-tron is more expensive and is available in a Sportback “coupe” body style.
According to Automotive News, Audi is reporting a “sharp drop in incoming orders” for the all-electric crossover. Additionally, Audi’s assembly plant in Brussels, which produces the Q8 e-tron, is reportedly facing high logistical costs and high manufacturing costs, as well as structural challenges that are apparently difficult to implement due to the facility’s location near the center of the city.
“Following an intensive review of the market situation and the general conditions of the Brussels site, Audi is considering the early end of production of the Q8 e-tron model series,” Audi said.
Audi says it is now investigating options for the Brussels facility and that if a solution is not found, operations could stop completely. The facility currently employs roughly 3,000 workers.
The Audi Q8 e-tron is a relatively new model, initially launching for the 2019 model year and recently receiving a mid-cycle refresh, as well as a name change. When it was initially released, the crossover was named simply “e-tron” but later adopted the Q8 name. Pricing for the 2025 Audi Q8 e-tron starts at $76,095, with an estimated range of 285 miles per charge. In the U.S., sales for the Audi Q8 e-tron amounted to 4,620 units through the first half of the 2024 calendar year. Sales peaked at 8,551 units for the 2023 calendar year.
Looking ahead, the new Audi Q6 e-tron is expected to be more competitive with the Cadillac Lyriq. It will be offered at a lower price point and present a greater range estimate with at least 300 miles of range per charge.
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Comments
My prediction is once the optiq is release, Lyriq prices are going up 10K. They’ll drop the tech trim, do a slight refresh and start at 70, maybe 75. Vistiq will start 90-100.
I doubt they’ll change the pricing on the Lyriq. There will likely be an overlap between the upper and lower ends with other models. A well-optioned Optiq will overlap with a lower-optioned Lyriq, and the same will be true of the upper-end Lyriqs and the Vistiq.
These vehicles are very similar, with slightly different dimensions and pack sizes. The Optiq is front-wheel-biased like the Equinox EV, whereas the Vistiq and Lyriq are rear-wheel-biased. The Vistiq and Lyriq are almost identical mechanically. The Vistiq has a slightly taller rear to allow for a third-row seat.
Agree, there will be overlap. Don’t agree with your pricing. A well optioned optiq will easily hit 80. A well optioned lyriq is already 85, so adding another 10K based on premise brings it to 95, or just a touch more than my predicted start price of a Vistiq. Battery prices are not going down like chips. Unlike chips, there is still more stuff in a bigger battery. I think I saw where Nvidia has a 200B transistor chip that tied 2 reticles together. So 2X the size of a big chip. That is the same amount of silicon that used to hold a few million trans. in 2008. Have batteries gotten 10000X better since then?
I think the Lyriqs selling point now is its value. For a luxury EV, you do get alot of bang for the buck. If you want a base EQE, you will need to shell out an entire battery pack worth extra ($20K) and an extra $30k if you want the rodent looking iX.
In what World is the Lyriq and this in the same segment?
Can we please stop comparing Cadillac vehicles with MUCH higher end models from other Brands just to write a story…Thanks
How are they not?
Are you really saying that someone looking at a Q8 Etron (and its terrible name) won’t look at a Lyriq, and vice versa? If so, I’ll smoke what you’re smoking.
@Vee8
How many customers cross shop vehicles that start $15,000 apart from each other?
Please let me know how these vehicles are classified in the same segment, maybe me and Audi are missing something.
The Lyriq competes with the Audi Q6 eTron not this.
Cadillac does not have anything to compare!!! (Not in ICE or BEV)
I am cross-shopped against these more than anything else in the EV space, including Kia’s and Teslas. It has pretty much been Lyriq vs Q8 E-Tron.
Hi Momolas you are correct never compare a Cadillac to a Audi as by the time the comparison is over the Audi will be in the shop for repairs. All My Audi Vehicles needed so many repairs I could have bough a Cadillac with the repair costs.
@Zack
Fair enough on that point HaHa
Never own an Audi. You lease one.
Out-of-pocket dealer repair costs are stupid expensive.
You can say the same thing about MB, BMW, Volvo and anything made in England or Italy.
EV models ‘rivaling’ each other is like fighting over deck chairs on the Titanic. ICE-burg right ahead!
“High costs and low demand”
-pretty much sums up EV’s.
Whoever prefers a German vehicle over a domesic model must still have NAZI blood in the family.
Lyrique crushes the competition!!!!
@Cadriver
I like the Lyriq a lot. But
My three gripes about GM BEV’s (Including the Lyriq) thus far are that they tend to be priced higher than the competition and they do not have fast enough charging speeds, and lack of Frunks. Except the full size trucks and SUV’s
There is zero reason besides them saving money to not make the Lyriq, Optiq, Blazer, and Nox charge at 250kW like the Tesla vehicles. They have big batteries but I feel like GM is doing this on purpose almost as if they know they cannot mass produce them and artificially is trying to slow the demand.
Trust me on a road trip it makes a HUGE difference driving say a Blazer or driving a Model Y
In my opinion ALL upcoming BEV’s (Including Teslas) need to move to 800 Volt architectures and then BEV’s will skyrocket in sales even more so!!!
Time for GM to dump the blue politics and dump the Lyriq. EVs are bad for the environment, would kill our electric grid, are killers for societies where the mines are and not practical in an emergency or cold weather.
You’re right GM should drop Cadillacs 2nd best selling vehicle that’s bringing in people outside of GM brands.
Put a V6 in a Lyriq and I’m sold. Beautifully styled vehicle, but EV’s are a flash in the pan. What happened to inductive charging? I don’t even have to connect a cable to my phone anymore, I’m sure not gonna do it with my vehicle. Hydrogen and synthetic fuels are the future.
There are charging losses with induction charging. It doesn’t matter with your phone or toothbrush because their batteries are small.
Hydrogen only works in areas with good distribution and many vehicles in one location (airports, truck hubs, UPS, FedEx, docks, etc.). It is expensive to make since it’s not naturally occurring by itself, and it is very difficult to store and transport. It’s either in liquid form, which is cryogenic, or in gas form, which takes a lot of volume.
Synthetic fuels are attractive, but they have to be created from something, and you’re still burning something in an ICE that is only 40% efficient. The motors in EVs are over 90% efficient. So, as battery technology gets battery, so will the EV story.
@Pete20602
Could you please advise as to how Hydrogen will be the future?
Would really love a breakdown of this.
Well, I don’t wanna write a dissertation here, lol. Probably the best thing to do is google hydrogen fuel cells. Japan is transitioning to hydrogen in many sectors, including transportation. In this country, there’s a limited network of hydrogen refueling stations in CA. It is a far more viable option for OTR trucks than battery electric and a nationwide hydrogen network is being developed for OTR trucks, which will likely be expanded to passenger vehicles. I’m not opposed to BEV’s by any means, I think for a two car family, where one vehicle is used locally, it makes sense — just not for me. What bothers me is shortsighted government decisions, for instance, giving one billion tax dollars to GM and Stellantis, a Dutch company, to develop EVs, while shutting out the most innovative tech from China because of alleged PRC govt assistance. Nio has built a network of battery swap stations, that is simply a better idea, both on terms of under 5 min recharging and the ability to transition to better batteries without scrapping the vehicle.
@Pete20602
I personally disagree about Hydrogen.. It will never happen. Just look and see for how long automakers have supposedly been working on Hydrogen vehicles. Many many decades and zero progress at all.
The majority of Hydrogen Stations are closing down actually and it is not being reported by MSM because of their funding if you know what I mean Lol
A firm is pretty close to announcing a class action lawsuit against Toyota because the customers cannot use their so called $15K Fuel Credit because facilities are closing down at a rapid pace.
Transporting and storing Hydrogen is insanely expansive and it is not something that will come down in price.
Think about the infrastructure of digging up every single Gas/Diesel underground Tanks around the World to replace them with Hydrogen Tanks. It will never happen. And that is assuming that once dug up the ground doesn’t have any contamination in the water or something which would delay the project much longer.
For comparison, Tesla takes a couple of days at most after permit is awarded and bam just like that a Supercharging station goes live. Nothing can compete with that quickness.
As I have stated for many years, BEV’s will eventually win out because everything surrounding the Industry is much cheaper and scale will be coming down dramatically. Batteries continue to fall, China has LFP Batteries down to $55 per KwH already. No need to constantly transport fuel for EV’s. like you do for Gasoline and Hydrogen.
Hydrogen is just a huge lie brought to us by Big Oil and Government (because they get lobbied) and companies like Toyota are going for it just to get the subsidies from Governments around the World. I guess I do not blame them for doing so but I do blame them for making Hydrogen seem like it will be the future when they know it will not just to buy themselves more time.
In Europe they spent insane amount of money on Hydrogen buses and guess what they are doing now, replacing them with BEV Buses. They are amazed at how cheap they are to operate.
I am not an EVERYTHING needs to be a BEV person but I just follow the numbers and ICE will eventually be out for the most part simply due to economics.
I am not turning down a C8 ZR1 or Ferrari F8 Tributo if even offered to me HaHa
We will be turning in our leased Tesla. Tesla needs to upgrade their interiors, fit and finish. We did have problems with electronic glitches.
Have decided to go back to PHEV or ICE. We are looking at lots of models. We will lease again. We also own a Honda Pilot which has been the best vehicle we have owned.