In our Riga to Sofia EV duel, the Kia Niro EV beats the Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 by 33 minutes, completing the 2115km route in 27h 44min. The key advantage? 1 fewer charging stop. Route calculated on September 3, 2026 using real-time charging station data.
The Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 55's 480km range doesn't beat the Kia Niro EV's 370km here - charging speed and efficiency matter more.
The Kia Niro EV needs only 10 charging stops compared to 11 for the slowest vehicle, saving valuable time.
Winner
Kia Niro EV
- Total time: 27h 44min (33 min faster)
- Charging stops: 10
- Charging time: 4h 36min
- Energy: ~366 kWh
- Distance: 2115km
Quick Comparison
| Metric |
Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 |
Kia Niro EV |
| Travel time |
28h 17min |
27h 44min |
| Charging time: |
5h 7min |
4h 36min |
| Charging stops: |
11 |
10 |
| Energy used |
~381 kWh |
~382 kWh |
Charging Strategy Breakdown
Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 Route
- Start: Riga (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Cafe Baltica (15 min, 74% → 89%)
-
Stop 2:
Kaufland (47 min, 10% → 87%)
-
Stop 3:
Factory Annopol (26 min, 10% → 64%)
-
Stop 4:
Shell MOP West (19 min, 10% → 48%)
-
Stop 5:
Centrum Zakupowe Jan (15 min, 10% → 44%)
-
Stop 6:
Tesco Teplická cesta (28 min, 10% → 67%)
-
Stop 7:
Tesco (16 min, 10% → 47%)
-
Stop 8:
IONITY Csalánosi Csárda (34 min, 10% → 75%)
-
Stop 9:
OMV smer Beograd (71 min, 10% → 90%)
-
Stop 10:
Naplatna rampa Nais zapadno (24 min, 10% → 41%)
-
Stop 11:
OMV (12 min, 10% → 27%)
- Arrival: Sofia
Kia Niro EV Route
- Start: Riga (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Norfa XL (13 min, 27% → 43%)
-
Stop 2:
McDonald's Dubowo Drugie (46 min, 10% → 82%)
-
Stop 3:
Factory Annopol (26 min, 10% → 63%)
-
Stop 4:
Shell MOP West (17 min, 10% → 47%)
-
Stop 5:
Centrum Zakupowe Jan (15 min, 10% → 43%)
-
Stop 6:
Kaufland Wolkera (28 min, 10% → 65%)
-
Stop 7:
Tesco (17 min, 10% → 46%)
-
Stop 8:
IONITY Csalánosi Csárda (34 min, 10% → 73%)
-
Stop 9:
OMV smer Beograd (58 min, 10% → 88%)
-
Stop 10:
Naplatna rampa Nais zapadno (22 min, 10% → 56%)
- Arrival: Sofia
Why the Kia Niro EV Won
The Kia Niro EV achieved a 33-minute advantage over Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 55 on this 2115km route. Key factors:
- Fewer charging stops: 10 stops vs 11 for the slowest vehicle means less time spent finding and connecting to chargers.
- Faster charging: Total charging time of 4h 36min vs 5h 7min thanks to higher peak charging speeds or better charging curve.
- Better efficiency: Lower energy consumption (~366 kWh vs ~467 kWh) means less time spent charging.
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