Tesla Model S vs Audi RS e-tron GT
Tesla Model S vs Audi RS e-tron GT… Can Audi out-perform the king of luxury EVs?
For all the bombast of its attention-seeking CEO Elon Musk, and the borderline-criminal hubris of calling a fancy adaptive cruise control system “Autopilot,” Tesla is unquestionably a revolutionary company. Along with being beautiful and fast, the California startup’s vehicles are also green, and have inspired a level of customer devotion rivaled only by Apple fanatics in its intensity. But it should be noted that for all of its engineering prowess, Tesla’s biggest accomplishment to date is likely convincing a skeptical segment of the populace that an electric car could be a luxury product — and not some kind of nuevo-hippie penalty box.
That victory, of course, drew the attention of traditional automakers, who were already being prodded in the electric direction by regulatory agencies the world over. So while Musk and company have been able dominate the luxury electric vehicle segment like a kudzu vine in an avocado orchard, the competitors are beginning to arrive, and they are bringing the vast might of the auto-industrial complex to the fight. So yup, Tesla has a giant target on its back.
Which brings us to carwow’s fantastic shootout between the Audi RS e-tron GT and the Tesla Model S.
Here, host Mat Watson turns his critical eye to the sheet metal, cabins, performance, and since these are both electric vehicles, the charging speed of the Audi the Tesla. And to see how the machines function in the real world, he’s pitted them against each other on a 571-mile race from Inverness, Scotland to London, England. Since the aesthetic choices are going to be entirely subjective, it’s worth noting that on paper, the Tesla is faster to 60 mph. Not only that, but with a stated range of 390 miles, the Model S has a range of that’s almost double the 238 miles Ingolstadt says the e-tron is good for.
The card that the Audi has up its sleeve, however, is a much faster charging time. So even if it has to stop more frequently, it won’t take as long to get back on the road, meaning that this time trial was set up to be a photo finish.
Personally, the creature comforts and driving dynamic are the bits of this I’m most interested in here, range-wise, each of these cars would be more than adequate to serve as my daily driver. Frankly, even if you’re not a huge Audi fan, how the e-tron fares in those categories shouldn’t come as some kind of shock — but I don’t want to spoil the video. Watch and let me know what you think about this real-world comparison!
Photos: YouTube