Audi Q5 TFSI e EV Charging Cable

A plug-in that is actually worth a 32A cable

The Q5 50 and 55 TFSI e quattro carry 14.4 kWh usable and about 38 miles of electric range. Audi UK quotes a full charge from empty in about two and a half hours on a 7 kW wall box, and that figure is the one that matters: 14.4 kWh in two and a half hours is an average close to 6 kW, which needs a charger well above the 3.6 kW cap that limits the smaller Audi plug-ins.

So unlike the A3 and Q3 TFSI e, this is a car where the 32A lead does real work and a 16A one would roughly double every charge.

The one thing the sources argue about

A note on how confident we are. Two respectable sources point different ways: the German data sheet calls this a two phase 7.4 kW figure, while Audi's own charge times imply the full rate is reached on a single phase. The times are the harder evidence, because an hours figure cannot be fudged the way a classification can. So we recommend the 32A lead, and we would rather tell you the argument exists than pretend it does not.

How long a full charge takes

The arithmetic is simple: kWh over kW, 13 per cent on top for losses, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. Our calculated time and Audi's published two and a half hours land in the same place, which is a fair check on both. The 2024 replacement Q5 plug-in carries a larger battery, quoted at 57 to 68 electric miles, but its charging figures are not confirmed.

This car has no DC inlet whatsoever, which puts the whole charging job on the Type 2 lead. A motorway rapid is simply not available to it, and a car that arrives from a dealer with no cable cannot be charged at all until one turns up.

Which length for a Q5 TFSI e

The charge flap is at the rear. German market data puts it on the driver's side of a left hand drive car and nobody publishes whether that mirrors for a right hand drive Q5, so the side is not something we will state.

The Q5 is 4.68 metres. A rear port means reversing towards the charge point is the good case, and 5 metres covers it when the flap ends up on the matching side. Nose in, or the flap on the far side, and the lead travels the length of the car, so 10 metres. Pace it out from the socket to the flap with the car parked as it always is, then allow a little extra.

How these cables are built

Made to IEC 62196-2, CE marked, and rated IP55 from -30C to +50C so it lives outdoors all year.

The three pin cable is built to IEC 62752, CE marked, sealed to IP67 and rated from -30C to +60C. Warranty is two years from the manufacturer, delivery free next working day, returns accepted for 30 days.

Also from Audi: Audi Q4 e-tron EV Charging Cable. The full range of Audi charging cables is on one page.

Audi Q5 TFSI e charging cable questions

Which cable does a Q5 TFSI e need?

A 32A Type 2 to Type 2 lead. Audi's own two and a half hour charge time for the 14.4 kWh battery is only achievable well above the 3.6 kW that limits the smaller Audi plug-ins.

How long does a Q5 TFSI e take to charge?

About two and a half hours from empty on a 7 kW home wall box, which is Audi UK's own figure and matches our arithmetic.

Can a Q5 TFSI e rapid charge?

No. There is no DC socket, so the Type 2 cable is the only way to charge it.

Is there any doubt about the 7.4 kW figure?

A little. German technical data classifies it as a two phase figure, which would mean less at a British house. Audi's own charge times contradict that, and we go with them, but a dealer can confirm it for your car.