The German carmaker has unveiled the RS Q8 Performance, its most potent SUV to date, one week after revealing its most potent model to date, the 912-hp RS E-Tron GT Performance. The 2025 model is now competitive with the car’s sporty cousin, the Lamborghini Urus, thanks to a significant power increase.

The Q8 update started last fall and includes the RS Q8 Performance. It has the same basic features as the normal RS Q8, including an eight-speed automatic transmission, Quattro all-wheel drive, and a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine. The RS Q8 Performance’s new exhaust system, which increases output from an already decent 591 horsepower and 590 foot pounds of torque to a whooping 631 horsepower and 627 foot pounds of torque, is what separates the two vehicles.

This increase in performance makes the model Audi’s most potent SUV as well as its most potent exclusively gas-powered automobile (including the R8 supercar of the second generation). Additionally, it now places the RS Q8 in the same ballpark as the Urus, whose non-hybrid variant yields 657 horsepower (but the new Raging Bull electric version boosts it to 789 horsepower).

Audi RS Q8 Performance in 2025

With all that extra power, Audi claims the RS Q8 Performance will be able to reach a top speed of 190 mph and accelerate from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds. The car is also said by the manufacturer to be the fastest production SUV in the history of the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife, having completed a full lap in 7:36.69 seconds. This makes it an even more potent performance on the racetrack.

The full-size model, which was already the sportiest SUV in the brand’s lineup, has undergone the most understated changes. The most noticeable change is the redesigned front end, which sports a matte grey accent piece exclusive to this model and a three-dimensional honeycomb-style grille with a larger bezel. With Matrix LED headlights and OLED taillights—the latter of which has a few programmable light signatures—the lighting package has also been adjusted.

The 2025 RS Q8 Performance Interior

Interior differences are also not that great. The RS design option, available in red or grey, adds contrast stitching to the perforated leather seats, center console, and floor mats in the same color. Alcantara covers the shifter and steering wheel, however.

In Europe, the RS Q8 Performance will go on sale later this month. Later this year, the American version is anticipated to arrive. The European version will start at €155,700 (about $167,000), though pricing details still need to be confirmed.

Up to 25% more battery life can be obtained by using the AI-BMS-on-chip, which also “unlocks” an extra 10% of a battery’s capacity. It accomplishes this by accurately monitoring the battery’s State of Health (SoH) and State of Charge (SoC) to a far greater extent than is feasible with conventional BMS units.

Syntiant’s NDP120 Neural Decision Processor takes decisions to avoid failures, improve battery safety, and maximize performance by analyzing battery performance in real-time and using predictive diagnostics to spot possible problems early.

The NDP120 was made with ease of integration with consumer and business electronics BMS systems already in place. The AI-BMS-on-chip technology removes all connectivity, latency, and privacy concerns related to cloud-based systems by being included into the battery itself.

“The AI-BMS chip addresses the need for real-time, efficient battery management in various applications.” Declared Chief Business Officer of Syntiant Mallik Monturi. Performance, safety, and battery life are all improved. For everything from consumer electronics to commercial vehicles, this makes it ideal.”

The AI-BMS-on-chip has the potential to significantly improve the electric vehicle (EV) market, from vehicles to personal eVTOL planes. By increasing range and delaying the need for new batteries, it may also result in significant cost savings for customers. The technology’s predictive capabilities may also reduce the likelihood of battery failures at times, like when you’re 200 feet above the ground on your way home from work in your Jetson.

The maximum life of most current lithium-ion batteries is typically 500–1,000 charge cycles before the battery starts to deteriorate. This might be increased to 625–1,250 cycles using the AI BMS from Eatron Technologies. LiFePO4 batteries can withstand up to 5,000 charge cycles with a typical BMS, and they are becoming increasingly popular in off-grid and recreational vehicle applications. Potentially, the NDP120 might raise these numbers to an incredible 6,250+ cycles.

This week in Stuttgart, Germany, Eatron is showcasing its AI-BMS-on-chip technology at The Battery Show Europe 2024.

An unsuccessful attempt to remove OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was spearheaded by Ilya Sutskever, one of the company’s founders, who said he was launching a safety-focused AI startup.

The well-known AI researcher Sutskever, who quit the company that made ChatGPT last month, announced on social media on Wednesday that he and two co-founders had founded Safe Superintelligence Inc. Development of “superintelligence,” a term used to describe artificial intelligence systems that are more intelligent than people, is the company’s sole objective.

Work on safety and security will be “insulated from short-term commercial pressures,” according to the company’s business model, which Sutskever and his co-founders Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy said in a prepared statement. The company also pledged not to get sidetracked by “management overhead or product cycles.”

According to the three, Safe Superintelligence is an American business with headquarters in Tel Aviv and Palo Alto, California, “where we have deep roots and the ability to recruit top technical talent.”

Sutskever was part of a group that made an unsuccessful attempt last year to oust Altman. The boardroom shakeup, which Sutskever later said he regretted, also led to a period of internal turmoil centered on whether leaders at OpenAI were prioritizing business opportunities over AI safety.

Known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI, Sutskever co-led a team at OpenAI dedicated to securely creating AI that is superior to humans. He stated that he had intentions for a “very personally meaningful” project when he left OpenAI, but he gave no further information.

Sutskever declared that he made the decision to leave OpenAI

Days after his departure, his team co-leader Jan Leike also resigned and leveled at OpenAI for letting safety “take a backseat to shiny products.” OpenAI later announced the formation of a safety and security committee, but it’s been filled mainly with company insiders.