The 20th International Ecology Fair Ekobis 2024 in Bihać, held this year under the motto: „Together we paint the future“, inspired the representatives of the Federation of BiH Chamber of Economy/Commerce and the Association for Electromobility to act by their own example under the auspices of the fair’s motto and to be motivation, support and an example to the present representatives of business entities, ministries and institutions in the transition to sustainable transport.
On the 308 km journey one way, on the Sarajevo-Bihać route, we set off in a fully electric Audi Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron quattro, without a guilty conscience regarding environmental impact, given the zero CO2 emission rate of electric vehicles.
This electric SUV not only charms at first glance with its futuristic design and aggressive sporty lines, but also delights while driving. Large wheels and the low coupe-style roofline leave a special impression. The pronounced robust and muscular body, despite its refined futuristic design, still retains a degree of the recognizable design of conventional Audi vehicles.
Its striking appearance and additional charm come from its dimensions, which do not make it overly bulky, but at the same time make it so authentic and yet so luxurious. Comfort and spaciousness of the interior are not compromised; on the contrary, they are guaranteed even for very tall passengers. A particularly pleasant surprise is the spacious trunk, with a basic volume of 535 liters, while folding down the rear seat backs increases capacity to 1,460 liters. For passengers in general, and especially for those with families, the number of compartments is of great importance, and in this model they have a total volume of about 25 liters.
Upon entering the vehicle, at first glance many will think it is a conventional vehicle, which means that the design was created as a blend of traditional solutions and modern technologies in order to satisfy the tastes of drivers of all generations.
The fully digitalized cockpit stands out with a large selection of different graphical displays, a range of data on driving statistics, battery, travel route, etc., compared to displays in other electric vehicles, which have somewhat fewer such options. The full driving experience, road, comfort, sound, and adaptation to one’s own preferences are set on the central infotainment screen, which offers a range of control and command options, including voice control. In order to achieve a blend of conventional and modern vehicle, beneath the infotainment screen there are switches for adjusting the ventilation system, which may be somewhat unusual for drivers of electric vehicles of other brands, given the fully digital control. Fortunately, this generational gap in the blend of traditional and modern has been bridged by numerous adjustment options available via the controls on the steering wheel.
For greater driving comfort, this vehicle is equipped with an Augmented Reality Head-up display, which shows certain assistance systems, notes, current speed, speed limit within the driver’s field of vision, and even suggests centering the vehicle in the lane and gives advance notice when it is necessary to reduce speed based on elements in the real outside world.
For greater driving comfort, this vehicle is equipped with an Augmented Reality Head-up display, which shows certain assistance systems, notes, current speed, speed limit within the driver’s field of vision, and even suggests centering the vehicle in the lane and gives advance notice when it is necessary to reduce speed based on elements in the real outside world.
As attention was focused on driving comfort, we immediately noticed the softness of the brakes compared to other electric vehicles. Namely, when the brake is pressed, the electric motor first activates to slow the vehicle down, then becomes a generator and returns a significant part of the energy to the battery. However, with stronger braking pressure, the braking system is fully activated.
During the drive we had the opportunity to experience, in the true sense of the word, the preventive warning assistants given the several careless drivers on the road, where we saw the significance, reliability and safety they provide along with the aggressive sporty design. The Audi Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron quattro has excellent road holding and, during frequent changes of direction, thanks to the centralized weight of the car. Sound insulation eliminated all noise at highway speeds and enabled uncompromising enjoyment of pure music sounds.
Despite this more relaxed driving style, the remaining range upon arrival at the destination was 128 km and 40% battery capacity. Numerous factors affected electricity consumption during the drive itself, such as additional consumers, route configuration, outside temperature, constant use of air conditioning, etc., where our average consumption on open roads was 16.4 kWh.
The drive of the Audi Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron quattro passed without guilt about the environment and anxiety about range, but we faced the same issue when it came to the availability of charging stations in Una-Sana Canton, i.e. in Bihać. A few publicly available charging stations in Bihać are AC, 11 kW, and in this summer period they are mostly occupied due to the large number of tourists and diaspora members arriving in electric vehicles. An additional problem is caused by careless drivers of conventional vehicles, who park them in places marked for charging electric vehicles. Currently, there are no available fast or super-fast chargers in Bihać for drivers. In translation for this vehicle model, which supports battery charging on a fast charger with power up to 135 kW, this would mean that the battery can be charged to 80% of its capacity in less than 25 minutes.
Thanks to Porsche Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Porsche brand, which donated a large number of chargers to numerous hospitality facilities and hotels, we overcame the difficulties with occupied chargers in Bihać by taking a lunch break at the restaurant of the Kostelski buk hotel, which offers its guests free charging on a MOON brand AC charger. A break by the Una from the summer heat and lunch were quite enough to recharge the battery to 66% capacity.
After the meeting of the Organizing Committee of the 20th International Ecology Fair Ekobis, those present had the opportunity to test the Audi Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron quattro, with an 82 kWh battery, powered by two electric motors delivering a combined 220 kW, while with 460 Nm of torque it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, with a maximum speed of 180 km/h electronically limited. The present representatives of business entities and institutions did not hide their delight with the vehicle and the efficient driving that does not pollute the environment, and stated that they eagerly await the public call of the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry for subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles, as well as a greater number of charging stations in Una-Sana Canton.
In order to develop public awareness, business entities and decision-makers, and to overcome barriers, as well as to gain experience in driving electric vehicles throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond, the Association for Electromobility will continue to work on these and similar promotional activities in the coming period.
The Federation of BiH Chamber of Economy/Commerce and the Association for Electromobility hereby thank the Audi Bosnia and Herzegovina team for the provided vehicle.
