Test bench | The competition from the Lexus RZ450e

The Q4 e-tron applies substantially the same recipe as Lexus, but the commercial strategy differs. Audi has stripped its electric utility of some accessories to make it eligible for government rebates. Not Lexus. The latter also suffers in several areas, including the sacrosanct autonomy (the German crosses the 400 km mark), the utility volume, the towing capacity and the cost of use. Indeed, the German brand offers for a limited time (4 years) free recharges with the Electrify Canada network.

Much like the RZ450e, Jaguar’s I-Pace’s range fails to break the 400 km mark (395 km, according to the EPA). We can excuse it insofar as this vehicle is one of the deans of its category, some will say. On the other hand, we cannot turn a blind eye to the asking price or the meagerness of the refinements made since its launch. More powerful than the Lexus, more elegant too, the I-Pace takes longer to refuel and is hardly more functional than the Lexus.

Even more than the Q4 e-tron, the Model Y eclipses the RZ450e in performance and fuel efficiency. And even more than the Audi, this Tesla wants to be more welcoming, more versatile, more soothing (autonomy and charging network) and faster than the Lexus. On the other hand, the Model Y struggles to compare with its Japanese competitor in terms of quality of execution (finish and paint).