Audi takes on Tesla, and Apple, with its ‘Audi Experts’

Audi is focusing on spreading product knowledge among the potential customers, in a similar fashion to Apple showrooms, which you visit to learn about what’s new.

Audi expects to win potential customers through spreading product knowledge with its 'Audi Experts' program

Beating Tesla in the electric car sales race is no easy feat.

The American brand has effectively cornered a market it sometimes claims to have created in the first place, selling more than half of all electric vehicles in this country, despite an increasing array of competition from more established car-makers.

Which is why Audi is trying to think outside the box, adopting the same tactics that have helped make Apple the dominant player in the technology market. The German brand’s Australian arm has rolled out so-called Audi Experts across its nationwide dealerships.

Taking a page out of Apple’s playbook with its “genius bars” and pristine Apple stores, Audi is looking to make dealerships less focused on selling and instead places to go to learn about the changing automotive landscape.

Audi Australia national product manager Matthew Dale explained the thinking behind the change in tactics. “What we’ve done recently is rolled out a full program across the whole network of Audi Experts, so it’s almost like an Apple showroom where you don’t have to necessarily buy a product but you’re there to learn about the products,” Dale said.

“You’re there to fill in any gaps in your knowledge, because these customers are now coming in with a lot of knowledge, especially around EVs… The question that’s being asked in dealerships now is ‘what electric cars do you have?’ or ‘is now the time to buy electric?’ and that’s why Q4 is such an exciting opportunity for us.”

The all-new Q4 e-tron, due to reach Audi’s showrooms by the middle of 2024, represents a major turning point for the brand. It will be the first sub-$100k electric vehicle offered by Audi in Australia. More than that, the mid-size SUV is an almost direct rival to the wildly popular Tesla Model Y in terms of size and capability.

The Q4 e-tron range will be priced from $88,300, compared to $65,400 for the Model Y RWD, which is still a significant price gap. But it’s one that Audi Australia managing director Jeff Mannering is confident the company will help justify with its combination of decades of conventional car-selling experience and new ways of thinking.

“I think the whole experience of a brand is important,” Mannering said. “I think a [dealer] network, or whatever environment you sell the car in, it’s important you spend a lot of time and a lot of effort on dealer staff. Knowing the product, comparing it to the competitor products. Actually, we’re one of the better countries in the world for qualification programs and product knowledge.”

I think a lot of people discount or take for granted the experience you have in the showroom. If you have a good experience you can have a customer for life

It’s a notable change from Tesla’s tactics, which are focused around online sales with only limited retail spaces and delivery/service centres, rather than the conventional national dealer network Audi relies on.

“We do talk a lot about ‘what’s the experience behind it?’ I think a lot of people discount or take for granted the experience you have in the showroom,” Mannering said. “If you have a good experience you can have a customer for life.”

While he stopped short of declaring the Q4 a “Tesla beater”, Mannering was adamant that the arrival of this new, smaller and more affordable EV is a major moment for Audi’s long-term electric plans in Australia.

“We’re probably 20 grand above a Model Y, [the] $60,000 [range] is where the big volume is, so we’re not trying to beat that,” Manning conceded. “But from a volume point of view it’s significant volume because it’s at the top end of that segment. That’s important for us because our Q8 [e-tron] is $160,000 plus, so Q4 is a segment we haven’t been in.”

The local Audi boss is also confident the higher asking price for the Q4 over the Model Y won’t be as much of a challenge to overcome as it would have been in the past, as customers often now look at monthly repayment figures rather than the overall amount.

“The way people buy cars, and certainly the feedback in the showroom with novated leases and fully maintained leases where that FBT [Fringe Benefits Tax] threshold is really important, because you can put the car against the company. People are looking for monthly payments, with their servicing included, it’s a different way of purchasing.”

The Q4 e-tron will be available with the choice of a pair of single-motor, rear-wheel-drive 45 models and a pair of dual-motor, ‘quattro’ all-wheel-drive options, each available with either the SUV or Sportback body styles.

The Q4 45 examples will boast 210kW/545Nm, while the 55 quattro options get 250kW/679Nm, and both use an 82kWh battery. Audi Australia hasn’t revealed final details on driving range, but in Europe the Q4 45 Sportback is rated up to 562km.

The Q4 45 e-tron and Q4 45 e-tron Sportback will both be available at $88,300, but the step up to the dual-motor Q4 55 e-tron quattro pushes the price to $108,500 and the Q4 55 e-tron quattro Sportback starts at $109,500.