In our Dublin to Bucharest EV duel, the BMW i5 eDrive40 beats the Audi Q4 40 e-tron by 85 minutes, completing the 3099km route in 36h 13min. The key advantage? 4 fewer charging stops. Route calculated on September 3, 2026 using real-time charging station data.
The BMW i5 eDrive40 needs only 13 charging stops compared to 17 for the slowest vehicle, saving valuable time.
Winner
BMW i5 eDrive40
- Total time: 36h 13min (85 min faster)
- Charging stops: 13
- Charging time: 2h 42min
- Energy: ~533 kWh
- Distance: 3099km
Quick Comparison
| Metric |
Audi Q4 40 e-tron |
BMW i5 eDrive40 |
| Travel time |
37h 38min |
36h 13min |
| Charging time: |
4h 2min |
2h 42min |
| Charging stops: |
17 |
13 |
| Energy used |
~558 kWh |
~556 kWh |
Charging Strategy Breakdown
Audi Q4 40 e-tron Route
- Start: Dublin (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Birmingham Armada (10 min, 14% → 41%)
-
Stop 2:
Supercharger Poplars Garden Centre (11 min, 11% → 43%)
-
Stop 3:
Maidstone services (10 min, 10% → 37%)
-
Stop 4:
Lidl Avenue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (13 min, 10% → 46%)
-
Stop 5:
Fastned Gentbrugge Zuid (18 min, 10% → 57%)
-
Stop 6:
IONITY Aachener Land Süd (11 min, 10% → 40%)
-
Stop 7:
IONITY Oberhonnefeld (12 min, 10% → 43%)
-
Stop 8:
IONITY Weiskirchen Süd (14 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 9:
Aral Autohof Gremsdorf (16 min, 10% → 53%)
-
Stop 10:
IONITY Bayerischer Wald Süd (17 min, 10% → 56%)
-
Stop 11:
JET Tankstelle (13 min, 10% → 46%)
-
Stop 12:
da emobil Burger King Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel (13 min, 10% → 46%)
-
Stop 13:
IONITY Bábolna (15 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 14:
IONITY Csalánosi Csárda (21 min, 10% → 62%)
-
Stop 15:
Spatiu Servicii A1 Giarmata Sens Timisoara (20 min, 10% → 61%)
-
Stop 16:
OMV Miercurea Sibiului stanga (17 min, 10% → 55%)
-
Stop 17:
Kaufland Gavana (11 min, 10% → 39%)
- Arrival: Bucharest
BMW i5 eDrive40 Route
- Start: Dublin (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Electric Highway Rugby Services (12 min, 10% → 57%)
-
Stop 2:
IONITY Maidstone (10 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 3:
Diksmuidestraat (10 min, 10% → 51%)
-
Stop 4:
Lukoil (10 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 5:
Shell Tankstelle (10 min, 14% → 53%)
-
Stop 6:
IONITY Weiskirchen Süd (10 min, 13% → 52%)
-
Stop 7:
Aral Autohof Gremsdorf (10 min, 15% → 53%)
-
Stop 8:
IONITY Bayerischer Wald Süd (10 min, 13% → 53%)
-
Stop 9:
JET Tankstelle (11 min, 10% → 55%)
-
Stop 10:
Tankstelle Gewerbegebiet Neusiedl Nord (13 min, 10% → 59%)
-
Stop 11:
Inárcsi pihenőhely Szeged (14 min, 10% → 61%)
-
Stop 12:
OMV DN69 (16 min, 10% → 65%)
-
Stop 13:
OMV Miercurea Sibiului stanga (Truck) (26 min, 10% → 77%)
- Arrival: Bucharest
Why the BMW i5 eDrive40 Won
The BMW i5 eDrive40 achieved a 85-minute advantage over Audi Q4 40 e-tron on this 3099km route. Key factors:
- Fewer charging stops: 13 stops vs 17 for the slowest vehicle means less time spent finding and connecting to chargers.
- Faster charging: Total charging time of 2h 42min vs 4h 2min thanks to higher peak charging speeds or better charging curve.
- Better efficiency: Lower energy consumption (~533 kWh vs ~574 kWh) means less time spent charging.
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