In our London to Sofia EV duel, the BMW i5 eDrive40 beats the Audi Q4 40 e-tron by 60 minutes, completing the 2442km route in 26h 17min. The key advantage? 2 fewer charging stops. Route calculated on September 3, 2026 using real-time charging station data.
The BMW i5 eDrive40 needs only 11 charging stops compared to 13 for the slowest vehicle, saving valuable time.
Winner
BMW i5 eDrive40
- Total time: 26h 17min (60 min faster)
- Charging stops: 11
- Charging time: 2h 18min
- Energy: ~420 kWh
- Distance: 2442km
Quick Comparison
| Metric |
Audi Q4 40 e-tron |
BMW i5 eDrive40 |
| Travel time |
27h 17min |
26h 17min |
| Charging time: |
3h 20min |
2h 18min |
| Charging stops: |
13 |
11 |
| Energy used |
~440 kWh |
~440 kWh |
Charging Strategy Breakdown
Audi Q4 40 e-tron Route
- Start: London (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Fastned Gentbrugge Zuid (13 min, 23% → 57%)
-
Stop 2:
IONITY Aachener Land Süd (11 min, 10% → 40%)
-
Stop 3:
IONITY Oberhonnefeld (12 min, 10% → 43%)
-
Stop 4:
IONITY Weiskirchen Süd (14 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 5:
Aral Autohof Gremsdorf (16 min, 10% → 53%)
-
Stop 6:
IONITY Bayerischer Wald Süd (11 min, 10% → 42%)
-
Stop 7:
eCarUp Pendlerparkplatz (13 min, 10% → 47%)
-
Stop 8:
Raststation Kammern (10 min, 10% → 39%)
-
Stop 9:
IONITY Dobrenje Zahod (12 min, 10% → 44%)
-
Stop 10:
Supercharger Designer Outlet Croatia (36 min, 10% → 80%)
-
Stop 11:
OMV Martinci (10 min, 10% → 37%)
-
Stop 12:
JP Putevi Srbije (19 min, 11% → 59%)
-
Stop 13:
Naplatna rampa Nais zapadno (23 min, 10% → 50%)
- Arrival: Sofia
BMW i5 eDrive40 Route
- Start: London (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Fastned Gentbrugge Zuid (10 min, 29% → 61%)
-
Stop 2:
Shell Tienbaan (10 min, 21% → 55%)
-
Stop 3:
IONITY Bad Camberg West (10 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 4:
IONITY Haidt Süd (10 min, 10% → 51%)
-
Stop 5:
Supercharger Euro Rastpark (10 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 6:
eCarUp Pendlerparkplatz (10 min, 11% → 53%)
-
Stop 7:
OMV Tankstelle (13 min, 10% → 58%)
-
Stop 8:
Supercharger Designer Outlet Croatia (23 min, 10% → 74%)
-
Stop 9:
OMV Martinci (10 min, 10% → 47%)
-
Stop 10:
JP Putevi Srbije (10 min, 23% → 55%)
-
Stop 11:
Naplatna rampa Nais zapadno (22 min, 10% → 47%)
- Arrival: Sofia
Why the BMW i5 eDrive40 Won
The BMW i5 eDrive40 achieved a 60-minute advantage over Audi Q4 40 e-tron on this 2442km route. Key factors:
- Fewer charging stops: 11 stops vs 13 for the slowest vehicle means less time spent finding and connecting to chargers.
- Faster charging: Total charging time of 2h 18min vs 3h 20min thanks to higher peak charging speeds or better charging curve.
- Better efficiency: Lower energy consumption (~420 kWh vs ~452 kWh) means less time spent charging.
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