These four electric SUVs will spark your interest, but which one charges ahead of the pack?
Back in late 2018 just one electric SUV from a well-known prestige brand was on sale in Australia, and that car was the Jaguar I-PACE.
At the time we ran a hypothetical exercise, comparing the I-PACE with the two obvious competitors to the Jaguar, the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC and the Audi e-tron 55 quattro. As this exercise was conducted before either of the German brands announced range and specification for Australia, there were some significant gaps in our knowledge base.
But as Benz has now commenced local deliveries of the EQC and Audi has released the full specifications of the e-tron for Australia, it seems appropriate to run our slide rule over these three vehicles once more. This time around, what’s more, we’ve decided to include the Tesla Model X, which is the pioneer of electric SUVs in Australia.
We’re still awaiting further details for the upcoming BMW iX3, but this is a starting point of sorts for anyone who happens to be in the market for a new electric SUV wearing a prestige badge.
Drive systems
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: Two asynchronous electric motors Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: Two synchronous permanent magnet electric motors Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: Two asynchronous electric motors
Tesla Model X Long Range: Front synchronous permanent magnet electric motor, rear asynchronous electric motor
As noted previously, the Jaguar I-PACE features two PMAC (permanent-magnet, alternating current) motors, costing more to build, but delivering greater efficiency than the asynchronous motors that drive the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC. The Tesla has a bet each way with a PMAC motor at the front and an asynchronous motor for the rear wheels. From our perspective, Jaguar takes the first point in this battle.
Output
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: 230kW and 540Nm (e-tron 50) or 300kW and 561Nm (e-tron 55 – 664Nm in boost mode) Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: 294kW and 696Nm Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: Maximum of 300kW and 765Nm
Tesla Model X Long Range: Combined figures N/A (see below)
Two years ago we expected Benz might bring in a cut-price EQC powered by just one motor, and no one outside of Audi knew of that company’s plans to introduce a lower-powered e-tron. In 2020, the tables have turned. The EQC 400 places ahead of both the Jaguar and the Audi, with the I-PACE not too far in arrears of the Mercedes, but the e-tron 50 falls well short, and you’ll have to lash out for the e-tron 55 – roughly $9000 more than the EQC and over $22,000 more than the I-PACE – to match the Benz for power. Even then, and even relying on boost mode for all of eight seconds, the e-tron is still 30Nm short of the I-PACE and over 100Nm behind the EQC.
Tesla doesn’t publish combined power and torque figures for the Model X. Separately, the motors in the Model X produce 205kW front/193kW rear for the Long Range variant and 205kW front/375kW rear for the Performance variant. Peak torque for the Tesla is rated at 420Nm front/335Nm rear for the Model X Long Range and 420Nm front/720Nm rear for the Model X Performance.
We’re going to go out on a limb and extrapolate that with RedBook figures telling us the power-to-weight ratio for the Model X Long Range is significantly better than that of the EQC, and the Tesla’s claimed 0-100km/h time slightly better too (and much better for the Performance variant at 2.8 seconds), the Model X – a little lighter than the Mercedes – wins by a TKO.
Performance
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds (e-tron 50), 6.6 seconds (e-tron 55, 5.7 seconds in boost mode) Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds
Tesla Model X Long Range: 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds (Long Range), 2.8 seconds (Performance)
Originally, we scored this in favour of the Jaguar I-PACE, but the inclusion of the Tesla Model X has upset the apple cart. The Model X in its Performance variant is two seconds faster to 100km/h than even its fastest rival. And the Long Range variant is still slightly faster than the I-PACE. It’s half a second quicker than the EQC, over two seconds faster than the most affordable e-tron, and over a second faster than the e-tron 55 in boost mode. There is a downside, of course; the lowest price for the Model X is over $34,000 more than the starting price for the I-PACE. As for the Model X Performance, that’s at least $50,000 more than the Jaguar. Nevertheless, the Tesla takes home the grand prize here.
Battery
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: Lithium-ion, 71kW (e-tron 50), 95kWh (e-tron 55) Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: Lithium-ion, 90kWh Mercedes-Benz EQC: Lithium-ion, 80kWh
Tesla Model X Long Range: Lithium-ion, 100kW (Long Range)
When it comes to measuring kilowatt-hours against price, the Jaguar is the clear winner here. It’s far cheaper than the other three, with a larger-capacity battery than all bar the e-tron 55 quattro and the Model X (both Long Range and Performance variants).
Range
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: 336km Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: 470km Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: 374km
Tesla Model X Long Range: 505km
All figures published here are based on the combined-cycle WLTP standard. There’s some disparity between the respective numbers, but thinking back to the battery capacity for these cars – and considering the respective kerb mass for each vehicle as well – it’s little surprise that the I-PACE scrubs up well with a 90kWh battery against the 100kWh Model X, which weighs over 300 kilograms more than the Jaguar. The Jaguar’s WLTP figure, if divided by 90 (kWh) and multiplied by the 100 (kWh) of the Tesla’s battery would exceed the range of the Model X. The same can’t be said for the two German cars.
But in broad terms, the range of these vehicles is largely limited by battery capacity, just as a conventional petrol car’s range is limited by fuel tank capacity. If there’s one vehicle that stands out for going further more efficiently, it’s the Jaguar. It falls just 35km short of the Tesla’s range, but with a 90kWh battery – 10kWh less than the battery capacity of the Model X.
Charge times
Audi e-tron 55 quattro: 8.6 hours (11kW on-board charger) Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: 12.5 hours (7.2kW on-board charger) Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: 11 hours (7.4kW on-board charger)
Tesla Model X Long Range: Nine hours (11kW on-board charger)
It’s all swings and roundabouts here. Audi has come out hard, claiming the mantle of fastest-charging SUV among these four. The e-tron can recharge from five per cent to full capacity in 45 minutes, according to the manufacturer, drawing power from a 350kW ultra-fast charger at 150kW – which is faster than Tesla can manage (120kW from its own Supercharger network), let alone the Mercedes at 110kW or the Jaguar at 100kW.
For the sake of simplicity, we sourced numbers here from JET Charge, which supplies figures for a full battery charge from ‘peak AC’ charging, which is the three-phase wallbox-style home garage unit that can be purchased and installed by vehicle owners at extra cost.
As the figures reveal, the Audi has the edge over the other three vehicles (although it’s a narrow win, with the Tesla close on its heels). Curiously though, JET Charge also provides charging times based on power from a standard 10-Amp outlet – a household powerpoint. That’s where the Tesla gazumps everyone else, at 27 hours and 46 minutes.
If you could do without the Model X for a full day you could charge it just from a standard outlet. The EQC takes longer than that (with a significantly smaller battery capacity too) at nearly 35 hours. While the Jaguar’s 10-Amp recharge time is even longer at just over 39 hours, it’s also recharging a battery that is 10kWh larger than the Mercedes. And languishing at the rear is the e-tron. The Audi may be the recharging champ when hooked up to an ultra-fast DC unit or a three-phase AC unit, but 41 hours and 18 minutes off a 10-Amp outlet is quite slow for the 95kWh e-tron 55 quattro.
Despite that, and given that very few owners would ever charge a battery from fully depleted to 100 per cent using a standard household outlet, the e-tron remains the top choice for the recharge sprint.
Battery Warranty
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: Eight years/160,000km Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: Eight years/160,000km Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: Eight years/160,000km
Tesla Model X Long Range: Eight years/240,000km
This requires little explanation. All four vehicles will likely soldier on long past the end of the battery warranty, but if the plan is to drive these vehicles longer distances, the Tesla provides that extra peace of mind.
Price & Verdict
Audi e-tron 50 quattro: $137,700 ($134,834 adjusted) Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S: $124,100 ($120,900 adjusted) Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC: $137,900 ($134,976 adjusted)
Tesla Model X Long Range: $158,846 ($155,179 adjusted)
Here’s where we added up all the wins and losses – all scored in hundreds of dollars – to deduct the total from the manufacturer’s retail list price to decide a ranking – the best car, judged as an EV, would be the cheapest after the pricing adjustment was factored in. We settled on a winning car based on day-to-day operation in the role of an electric vehicle.
And what we found was that the Tesla Model X Long Range, despite being a very good machine across a range of criteria, couldn’t shake off its high pricing. To some extent that reflects the Tesla’s larger packaging and the market position that goes with that. It placed fourth at an adjusted price of $155,179.
Considerably more competitive in terms of price and value was the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, coming in third at $134,976. At that price the Benz was just narrowly pipped by the Audi e-tron 50 quattro, which finished in second at $134,834.
And in a repeat performance from last time, the Jaguar I-PACE EV400 S topped the list. In this company the Jaguar starts off with a price advantage. It isn’t the best in any one area, and if you also factored in the packaging, autonomy, connectivity and safety in the other cars, the results would be different.
But with its efficient PMAC motors, its lower weight and relatively larger battery capacity, the Jaguar scored very well as an EV and finished first at an adjusted price of $120,900.
Keyword: Bench test: Audi e-tron v Jaguar I-PACE v Mercedes-Benz EQC v Tesla Model X