The most important news about the Audi Q6 e-tron is the platform it stands on. This is Audi’s first model on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). And yes, that was developed in collaboration with Porsche. The new electric Porsche Macan wears the same technical underwear.
100 kWh and 625 kilometers
Thanks to this platform, Audi’s new electric SUV has a large battery of 100 kWh (net 94.9 kWh) and an official range of 625 kilometers. This means that our prediction about the range comes true. In practice, you have to drive quite economically to get that far on a battery charge of electricity, but Audi also promises ‘ultimate efficiency’.
The regular Q6 e-tron has 388 hp and the extra sporty SQ6 e-tron produces 490 hp. Both versions have a top speed of over 200 km/h, so you won’t make a mistake on the German highway (210 or 230 km/h respectively) with this Audi SUV.
Fast charging with 270 kW
The showpiece of the PPE platform is the sky-high fast charging capacity of 270 kW. It uses 800-volt technology to charge that monster of a battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 21 minutes. That is useful and impressive, but it does not make the Q6 e-tron the fastest charging SUV in the world. We saw the Lotus Eletre fast charging with 310 kW.
Audi Q6 e-tron gets smart lighting technology
Technology is a broader subject than just the electric drivetrain. Audi is pleased with the smart lighting technology. The headlights and taillights consist of so many OLED panels and segments that they can display beautiful light shows. In the car’s menu you choose how your Q6 e-tron illuminates the world.
Continuously changing light image not only looks cool, it is also used to warn other road users. For example, the digital rear lights can display warning symbols to alert other road users to accidents or stationary cars.
Dashboard with three screens
The dashboard of the Q6 e-tron looks like one whole, but it is an interesting combination of new and old. New is the curved panoramic display, which consists of two screens: an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit and a 14.5-inch touchscreen. The co-driver has his own 10.9-inch display. And what’s old about this? The beautiful wooden decorative strip that runs behind the scenes, for example. And the classic start button – EVs don’t need that at all.
We look in vain for physical buttons. There are touch buttons on the steering wheel that remind us of the buttons of an induction hob and we find even more in the door. There is a panel with touch buttons for mirror adjustment and lighting.
But what we don’t look for in vain is a frunk! There is a storage space of 64 liters in the nose of the car. The charging cable goes in there when the trunk (526 to 1529 liters) is filled to the brim.
Q6 e-tron is the EV brother of the Audi Q5
By the way, Audi is overhauling all familiar type names. In the new system, all even numbers are reserved for electric models, while the odd numbers indicate an Audi with a combustion engine. Pretty simple, right? The Q6 e-tron therefore serves as an emission-free alternative to the popular Audi Q5.
Prices of the Audi Q6 e-tron
The first copies of the Audi Q6 e-tron to come to the Netherlands have a 100 kWh battery pack, a power of 388 hp and quattro all-wheel drive. Prices start at 77,950 euros. You pay at least 88,900 euros for an electric Porsche Macan. The 490 hp top model can also be ordered: the Audi SQ6 e-tron is available from 101,400 euros.
Two versions with rear-wheel drive will follow later this year: a variant with the 100 kWh battery pack and therefore an even larger range, and also a version with an 83 kWh battery pack, for which an indicative starting price of 65,000 euros applies. So you don’t have to be very patient for the significantly lower base price.
