[vc_single_image image=”50067″ img_size=”article-image”]When looking at plugin hybrids, it’s hard to know which ones are best. After all, there is so much to think about.
However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. And hopefully we can help with the decision process.
In this article, we are going to compare two luxury plug in hybrids; the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne on a number of things including price, running costs and their green credentials.
Audi Q7 e-tron vs. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid; Running costs
Firstly, let’s have a look at their running costs.
Obviously, as they are both plug in hybrids then they are going to cost much less to run than their standard fuel counterparts. But, how do they compare to each other?
Audi Q7 E-tron
The plugin hybrid version of the Audi Q7 comes with a powerful 94Kw electric motor and a 3 litre diesel engine. It also produces some very impressive running figures. Audi claim that the Q7 can achieve 156.9 mpg.This has been disputed with real life driving, however, and critics claim that you can get an estimated 70mpg with a fully charged battery.
Speaking of the battery, Audi claim an all-electric range of 34 miles. Which isn’t too bad for a car of its size. According to pod point, a typical overnight charge will cost you 10p per kWh which means that to charge it fully at home it will cost you just £1.70. This means it will cost you 3p/per mile on fully electric and 8p/per mile when combined with fuel. It’s hard to argue with those numbers.[vc_single_image image=”50064″ img_size=”article-image”]
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid has a fully electric driving range of 23 miles. Which, of course, is less than the Audi Q7. However, it does achieve 85mpg which is considerably more than the Q7’s 70mpg.[vc_single_image image=”50066″ img_size=”article-image”]It costs the same amount as the Q7 to charge overnight (10p per kWh) but its larger battery means it costs 4p/per mile to charge. Pod point point out that a daily commute of 20 miles costs as little as 80p/per day.
So the Porsche trumps the Q7 when it comes to miles per gallon but the Audi Q7 costs 1p less to charge per mile than the Cayenne. Whichever you think is most important is down to you.
Audi Q7 E-tron vs. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid: Reliability
Another important factor to consider when getting a new car is how reliable it is. After all, you don’t want to have to spend that much money on something only for it to cause you endless trouble later down the line.
Both of these manufacturers are known for their reliability, so we don’t think that either of these cars will cause you much trouble. However, there is the issue of the electric battery. There are some who are put off by the idea of a plugin hybrid (or electric vehicle) because the electric battery is fairly new technology. This means that we cannot be sure how well it will perform in the long term. Although it has been said that the electric batteries are actually much simpler than combustion engines, so the chances of you having any problems with the electric batteries specifically are very slim.
But anyway, let’s have a look at their reliability.
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a new car, which means that we can’t say if there are any long term problems with the vehicle because of course, it’s only been around for a few years. One year in fact. So we won’t know about its long term reliability until much later down the line.
However, from what we do know, there have been no significant problems reported (outside of the UK average). This is un-surprising, the Audi Q7 is a luxury car and the chances of there being any problems was very slim.
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
Porsche’s are of course, very well made cars, so it would be odd to see the Cayenne plagued with claims of unreliability. Which is why there aren’t any.
It’s essentially the same as the Q7 – there are no reported faults and no recalls. It is still to say whether there will be any problems further down the line but we do doubt it.
So, reliability isn’t something that you need to worry about. These are, after all, very well made cars and it would be surprising if they were reported to be unreliable.
Audi Q7 vs. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid: Green credentials
Both of these cars are going to be pretty good for the environment. They are both plug in hybrids after all, which means that of course they are better for the environment than their fuel powered counterparts.
However, which one is greener?
Audi Q7
Okay, so we already know that the Audi Q7 can achieve 34 miles of fully electric driving which is pretty good, especially compared to the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.It also claims just 48g/km of CO2. This is really impressive. The Audi Q7 E-Tron classifies as an ultra-low emission vehicle. This means that it is extremely low to tax and faces exemptions from the likes of ultra-low emission zones. This makes it appealing for businesses and personal drivers alike.
Compared to its competitors, those figures are pretty good. So, if you want a car of that size and prestige but at low CO2 emissions, then you can’t really go wrong with the Q7.[vc_single_image image=”50063″ img_size=”article-image”]
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid unfortunately cannot achieve such impressive figures as the Audi Q7.[vc_single_image image=”50065″ img_size=”article-image”]It can only achieve a fully electric range of 23 miles. While this is still an impressive feat, when you compare it to the Audi Q7 it doesn’t quite match up.
It also emits 75g/km of CO2. This means it just scrapes the ultra-low emission mark by the skin of its teeth. This does mean that it enjoys all the benefits of being an ultra-low emission vehicle, but it does so by being one of the highest CO2 emitters of the ultra-low emission vehicle gang.
So, if you want to choose your car based on its green credentials, then it’s the Audi Q7.
Audi Q7 E-Tron vs. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid; Practicality
Another really important factor to look at is practicality. I know it may seem like every factor we talk about is super important but if you’re looking at a car this size then the chances are you want practicality. And a lot of it.
Audi Q7 E-Tron
One of the downsides to the Audi Q7 E-Tron is that, due to its fairly hefty battery, it has had to sacrifice two of its seats. The non-plugin version of the Q7 has seven seats and this only has five, unfortunately.
However, that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t make a practical family car. It still has 650 litres worth of boot space (admittedly down from 770 litres) and has a luxurious interior which will ensure that your family can travel in style and comfort. And also with a low carbon footprint.
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid didn’t have to sacrifice seats to fit the battery like the Audi Q7 but it is still slightly less practical.
It has a boot space of 580 litres, which is a considerable amount less than the Audi Q7 even after it had to sacrifice space for the battery. This does improve to 1690 litres with the back seats down, but that’s not ideal if you are trying to fit your family and luggage into the car.
That’s not to say it’s still not a hugely practical car, it’s just not as practical as the Audi Q7.
Both cars are quick, practical and they both make great family cars. However, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully, though, this has helped you become more informed so you make the right decision for you. 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
Good article, I had a Q7 e-tron on order but it got cancelled, apparently due to production issues converting it from left to right hand drive…? have since gone and ordered the cayenne hybrid instead (wasn’t aware they had a ULEV before placing the order for the Q7, so can’t say it was my 2nd choice)