Audi launches 2024 Q4 e-tron mid-model refresh with improved range, power, and charging
While some automakers are still introducing 2024 EVs, Audi is pushing out a mid-model refresh of the Q4 50 e-tron, called the Q4 55 e-tron. The Audi refresh includes several notable improvements on the performance and handling side, as well as faster charging.
The Q4 e-tron is an all-electric crossover SUV from Audi as it looks to electrify its entire portfolio of existing combustion models paired with new bespoke EVs. The Q4 e-tron hit the market in 2021 EV and is now being sold in its third model year.
Since then, the Audi Q4 e-tron has been sold in four variants, ranging in price and performance based on numeric nomenclature, which the German automaker loves to use to complicate things. Those models originally included the Q4 35 and Q4 40 e-tron, plus the Q4 45 e-tron quattro and top tier Q4 50 quattro.
Today, Audi announced it had developed a refreshed version of the Q4 50 e-tron and didn’t want to wait until 2025 models to share it with the world. Meet the mid-model update, now called the Q4 55 e-tron quattro.
Audi refreshes 2024 Q4 e-tron mid-model year
Audi USA outlined its comprehensive updates to the 2024 Q4 e-tron 55 quattro in a press release today, so let’s dig in. This isn’t just a mid-year cosmetic facelift to the Q4 e-tron but instead includes notable performance improvements.
For one, Audi engineers optimized the battery cell chemistry in the Q4 e-tron 55’s 77 kWh pack, enabling charge rates up to 170 kW, up from 150 kW on the Q4 e-tron 50. Audi states the refreshed SUV can now recharge from 10-80% in 28 minutes on a DC fast charger. The team also added a new post-conditioning feature that utilizes the EV’s thermal management system to cool the battery if it gets too hot after driving or charging.
The improved battery chemistry also enables a more extended range – 258 miles. That’s 22 miles more EPA range than the 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron 50 EV. Additionally, a revamped rear motor provides the electric SUV with 40 more total horsepower (335 hp) compared to its previous iteration and shaves nearly an entire second off its 0-60 mph sprint (now 5.0 seconds vs. 5.8 seconds previously).
Lastly, Audi shared it has tuned the 2024 Q4 e-tron 55’s suspension for improved balance and dynamic driving:
The steering characteristics and suspension tuning have been specially adapted for the occasion – the result is harmonious damping, improved steering response, and tighter load control. The new suspension and steering tuning provide a more balanced, direct driving experience for which Audi is known. The Audi Q4 55 e-tron responds more immediately to steering changes for greater sportiness and agility.
Other updates include a new 21″ wheel upgrade package complete with 235/45 R21 front and 255/40 R21 rear all-season tires. Today’s mid-model refreshes apply to both the 2024 Audi Q4 55 e-tron and the Q4 Sportback 55 e-tron, starting at MSRPs of $55,200 and $58,200 respectively. The refreshed are expected to hit Audi showrooms in the US in April 2024.
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LiveWire, the electric motorcycle brand spun out of Harley-Davidson, has just announced its latest electric motorcycle model. The new LiveWire S2 Alpanista is built on the same platform as the brand’s last two models, leveraging the Arrow platform as a versatile foundation for several diverse bikes.
The Arrow platform first received its debut with the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, which was then followed by the S2 Mulholland.
LiveWire announced that a high-performance electric maxi-scooter would be produced on the Arrow platform, but not before the company rolled out the S2 Alpinista. “The Alpinista is LiveWire’s first sport standard,” explained the company, “equipped with 17” wheels and tires, blending the best of street, sport, and hyper-tourer characteristics.”
The recently unveiled S2 Alpinista is mechanically quite similar to the two previous models sharing the platform. The 10.5 kWh battery that serves as the main structure of the bike will offer a maximum range of 120 miles (193 km) per charge under city riding conditions. It can be recharged with a Level 2 charger from 20-80% in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The 433 lb (196 kg) bike can achieve a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of just 3.0 seconds, thanks to its powerful 63 kW (84 hp) motor. The S2 Alpinista can also reach an electronically limited top speed of 99 mph (159 km/h).
Priced at US $15,999 and already available at LiveWire dealerships in North America and Europe, the S2 Alpinista officially becomes the most affordable LiveWire electric motorcycle available to date, undercutting the $16,249 S2 Del Mar electric street tracker and the $16,499 Mulholland electric sport cruiser.
“Alpinista reimagines the S2 by combining the urban agility of a supermoto with the do-it-all nature of a touring bike, creating a practical and thrilling sport standard,” explained the brand.
The smaller 17″ wheels help reduce the seat height of the bike, and combined with the Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, the street-optimized bike is ideal for “both daily commutes and spirited rides through winding roads.”
The S2 Alpinista comes with 6-axis IMU from Bosch providing cornering-enhanced antilock braking and cornering-enhanced traction control systems, in addition to four preset ride modes and two custom modes.
Now the third model launched on the Arrow platform, the S2 Alpanista underscores the versatility of LiveWire’s workhorse. The approach was intended to allow the e-motorcycle offshoot to quickly innovate with multiple styles of motorcycles all sharing key structural and drivetrain components. The move has largely been seen as an engineering success, with three models hitting the road in under three years. However, sales have yet to reach targets set by LiveWire as the more premium electric motorcycle industry has experienced a rocky few years.
As a LiveWire S2 Del Mar owner myself, I can attest to both the performance and enjoyable experience of bikes built on the platform, though I do find myself in a somewhat smaller community than LiveWire had likely hoped for. With the backing of its powerful older brother H-D, which retains a controlling stake in the company, LiveWire has enjoyed the relative freedom to cruise for its first few years and focus on motorcycle development and rollouts, with profitability hopefully coming over the horizon in due time.
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