TESTED: 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT Beats EPA Range by 53 Miles

The sporty RS outlasts the standard e-tron GT by 12 miles in Edmunds' real-world testing

  • written by
  • The performance-oriented 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT covered 285 miles on Edmunds' real-world EV range loop, outperforming its EPA-estimated range by 53 miles.
  • This total currently puts the RS e-tron GT in a tie for 12th place on our EV range leaderboard.
  • Although the RS e-tron GT is slightly heavier than the standard e-tron GT and rolls on beefier 21-inch tires, it went 12 miles farther in our testing.

The 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT is the high-performance variant of Audi's first all-electric sedan, the e-tron GT. It's also closely related to Porsche's all-electric Taycan Turbo. According to the EPA, the RS e-tron GT should be capable of cruising 232 miles on a full battery charge before needing to plug in again. That's 20 miles more than the EPA projects for the 2021 Taycan Turbo — and 6 miles fewer than the standard e-tron GT.

Although we've yet to test the Turbo variant of the Taycan, the 2020 Taycan 4S outperformed its EPA range in our testing by a wider margin — 120 miles — than any other EV to date. Its official range for 2020 was 203 miles, yet it covered a remarkable 323 miles on our test loop.

A few weeks ago we tested the standard Audi e-tron GT wondering if we'd see similar results, but that car "only" exceeded its EPA estimate by 35 miles. That means the RS e-tron GT shouldn't beat the EPA by more than about 30 miles, right? You'd think so, but of course we had to test one and find out. Here's what actually happened.

Testing the Audi RS e-tron GT in the real world

Edmunds tests every new electric vehicle on the same real-world driving loop to see just how far it can travel from a full charge down to zero miles remaining. If you scroll through our EV range leaderboard, you'll see that most EVs have matched or exceeded their EPA range estimates in our testing. Much of that has to do with our ability to test in near-ideal conditions year-round.

Over the course of our eight-hour stint behind the RS e-tron GT's wheel, the average temperature was a balmy 79 degrees, slightly warmer than the 70-degree average we saw when running the e-tron GT. As a reminder, we keep the climate control set to 72 degrees in every vehicle.

At the end of the day, we had traveled a total of 285 miles in the 2022 RS e-tron GT. That's 53 miles, or 22.8%, better than its EPA estimate — and 12 miles farther than the non-RS e-tron GT could manage. This range was achieved despite the RS e-tron GT's larger wheels and tires and its 42 extra pounds on our scales.

What do we think happened here?

Some might point to the warmer weather, but 70 degrees seems to be the optimal temperature for EV trip efficiency, so if anything, the RS e-tron GT had a tougher row to hoe. Our best theory has to do with the RS model's recommended tire pressures — which we always ensure are followed during testing — and its optional carbon-ceramic brakes.

While the regular e-tron GT's recommended pressures are 36 psi for the front tires and 33 psi for the rears, the RS e-tron GT calls for 41 psi all around with the 21-inch wheels. We suspect the higher pressures for the RS offset the increased rolling resistance of its larger tires.

As for our RS model's optional carbon-ceramic brakes, they're significantly lighter than the standard steel rotors. Since the brake rotors rotate with the wheels, lighter rotors would likely reduce the energy needed to motivate the car.

Overall, the RS e-tron GT's range performance puts it in 12th place overall, tied with the Kia Niro EV.

See All for Sale
Consider These Recommendations

Am I Ready for an EV?

  • EV ownership works best if you can charge at home (240V outlet)
  • Adding a home charging system is estimated to cost $1,616 in
  • Edmunds is partnering with Treehouse, an independent provider of home EV installation services. Learn more
Need to install a charger at home?
Get a free quote

So how much did those 285 miles cost?

While the total range of a vehicle continues to dominate the EV conversation, energy consumption is an important factor as well. Energy consumption is what determines how much your miles will cost you. The unit of measurement for consumption, the kilowatt-hour, can be thought of as the EV equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. Just like gas, the price of electricityvaries depending on where you live. For example, you'll pay about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour in Idaho as of this writing, whereas in Hawaii it'll run you about 33 cents.

So, what can 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT owners expect to pay at "the pump"? After charging the battery back to full, we calculated an Edmunds consumption rate of 36.4 kWh/100 miles, which is 13.3% more efficient than the EPA estimate of 42 kWh/100 miles. That means that if we lived in Hawaii, our 285-mile trip in the RS e-tron would have cost us $34.23, while if we lived in Idaho, that same trip would cost just $10.37.

Considering the price of the RS e-tron, you could instead opt for a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid and its insane 1,020 hp. Despite its power output, we measured an impressive consumption rate of 32.1 kWh/100 miles. So that same 285 miles in the Plaid would have cost $30.19 in Hawaii and $9.15 in Idaho. You'd save a few bucks with the Plaid, especially where electricity prices are higher, but the difference shouldn't sway your decision on that factor alone.

How about a gasoline-powered rival? We're going to stick with the sporty V8-powered hatchback alternative in Audi's lineup, the 2021 Audi RS 7, which we used for comparing the e-tron GT. Running the RS 7 for 285 miles on premium fuel would have set us back $77.45 in Hawaii ($4.62 per gallon) and $68.90 in Idaho ($4.11 per gallon) at current prices, assuming we got the RS 7's 17 mpg combined.

Based on these numbers, you could save an estimated $1,516 per year in Hawaii and a whopping $2,053 per year in Idaho in fuel costs driving an Audi RS e-tron GT for 10,000 miles a year instead of the RS 7. However, you should really hear what the RS 7's V8 sounds like before deciding it's not worth the premium.

For more information on how we test EV range and how each vehicle performed, we invite you to visit our Real World vs. EPA testing page, which includes both our EV range leaderboard and a table with detailed test results. Our EV range leaderboard is embeddable and will automatically update every time we add a new vehicle.

Edmunds says

Surprisingly, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT managed to be more efficient than the regular e-tron GT in our testing. Opting for larger wheels, sportier tires and/or more power will usually have a negative impact on range, but as we've witnessed here, other factors can certainly come into play. For our latest comprehensive ratings of all electric vehicles, head over to Edmunds' EV rankings page.

Jonathan Elfalanby

Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at Edmunds, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

Get More Edmunds Car News in Your Inbox
Try this quiz!

Is an EV right for me?

Do you need to tow or haul heavy items often?

Related information

Latest Automotive News

Related Automotive News

Recommended

Other models

Back to Top

Join Edmunds

Receive pricing updates, shopping tips & more!

Back to Top