In the UK, the e-tron is quite a bit cheaper, starting at £60,650 ($77,500) where the Model X begins at £82,980 ($106,000). But in the US the e-tron is about the same price as it is in the UK, whereas the Model X Long Range is $84,990. If you’re in the market for a luxury SUV, the price difference might not be so important, and it’s not that much in America anyway. What you get for your extra money is, though, and as Audi’s Duesmann points out, the most significant factor is range. The basic e-tron has a 71kWh battery, 30% less than the Model X’s 100kWh. But its WLTP range is just 190 miles, where the Model X Long Range has a 314-mile WLTP rating. So the Audi has around 60% the range of the Tesla from 70% as much battery. The difference is not just because the Model X has more batteries, it also gets more mileage out of them. The more expensive e-tron 55 Quattro has 95kWh of batteries, yet still only offers 271 miles of WLTP range.
One of the reasons for this is the aerodynamics of any of the cars. Despite being a large SUV, the Model X has a drag coefficient of 0.25, while the e-tron coefficient is 0.28. Both are good, considering that a Porsche 911 has a drag coefficient of 0.29, but the Model X has a main advantage. The most battery also has value when you look at an internal X model and wonder where Tesla has placed them. Duesmann says this is a domain where Tesla has a leader in engineering. The e-trunk is decidedly a five-seater, while the Model X has six- and seven-seat options, plus a much larger baggage domain if the rear seats decrease. It can also tow 2.3 tons, compared to 1.8 of the e-tron.
Most car enthusiasts will agree that Tesla’s interiors are a little dark compared to its German competitors. There are few discrete buttons for things like air conditioning, with virtually everything operated through the central LCD panel. The overall luxury feel is also weaker, as Audis, BMW and especially Mercedes have a greater attention to detail in the seat design and have compatibility and finish. Tesla also has a reputation for debatable quality and came here tenth from the back of a recent survey on the reliability of used cars in the UK.
Whatever the Tesla Model X you buy, it will be faster than the e-tron, either at 60 mph and at top speed. The e-tron has a tendency to understeer and can feel its full weight of 2.5 tons, while the Model X weighs almost the same but arrives in a much more agile way. If you take a look at mercedes’ alternative, the EQC, the differences are similar. It has about the same value as the e-tron, but with similar deficiencies in terms of range, interior space, towing capacity, maneuverability and performance, while reaping benefits from an internal design that many would prefer to the Model X.
Tesla isn’t resting on its battery laurels, either. We’ve already discussed how Tesla is already looking towards the next generation of Cobalt-free battery technology, but the company has also been great at making deals with battery manufacturers, such as the recently announced expansion of its joint venture with Panasonic to three years. The Cobalt-free batteries are rumored to be part of a deal with Chinese battery maker CATL.
However, explaining that Tesla lead basically comes from the merit of its battery would be a mistake. Jack Dolan of A2Mac1 believes it is not an individual merit that gives Tesla the leadership, but the mix of many factors. A2Mac1 is a global company that dismantles new cars from manufacturers and creates a database on how they are assembled, which is signed by the world’s leading automakers. So, A2Mac1 knows one or two things about what some cars do more than others. From battery density to the way dashboard tools join a crossbar, Tesla cars have more benefits. The dismantling of the Model 3 through Nikkei Business Publications also claimed to have discovered electronic parts that were at least six years ahead of what a “big Japanese car manufacturer” can achieve in autonomous driving.
All those benefits come from a single main engine. Tesla took electric cars seriously, while German brands were still putting all their engine design eggs in the diesel basket because they believe CO2 emissions were the biggest problem. Then it turned out that NOx waste was also a problem, and they had massaged their CO2 figures anyway. It was only after they learned their mistakes that they also needed an EV strategy. Audi may have the selection of five other electric vehicle platforms, however, the company has only been generating natural electric vehicles for a few years, and VW’s highly anticipated ID.3 became necessary a few days ago. BMW would possibly have unveiled its i3 in 2014, but has since turned a blind eye and recently announced its first electric SUV, the iX3.
Overall, then, Tesla is ahead because it has been building mainstream EVs for longer than other car manufacturers and taken a more bullish stance on driving the market in new directions. The German automakers are still hedging their bets with hybrids and plug-in hybrids alongside pure electric vehicles, clinging onto internal combustion engines for as long as they can. They have lots of manufacturing history and huge capacity, but as the market shifts towards electric, a lot of what they were good at will become less relevant, and they may never catch Tesla. That’s why Tesla’s shares tripled in value over the last year, and they’re still going up. The investment community can see which direction things are headed.
I’m the editor of the independent electric vehicle WhichEV. I have more than 25 years of pleasure as a generation journalist and a long-time love of automobiles.
I am the editor of independent electric vehicle website WhichEV. I have over 25 years’ experience as a technology journalist and a life-long love of cars, so having the two come together has been a dream come true. I first saw the potential for electric vehicles when I became one of the first people to drive a Nissan Leaf back in 2011. I love how automotive design and gadgetry combine in EVs, making them both fun and technically fascinating at the same time. They also have a huge amount to contribute to tackling climate change as well as metropolitan pollution. Alongside being editor of WhichEV, I am Pathway Director of the Master’s in Interactive Journalism at City, University of London. I have a PhD in the philosophy of communications and play the trumpet, once recording a session with Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker.