Audi A6 E-Tron - high-tech rangefinder has world premiere
With the Audi A6 E-Tron, Ingolstadt is making an important contribution to the further electrification of its brand. The electrically powered business-class car will also be available as an estate. And it's said to charge pretty quickly.
Sales of electrically powered cars are currently slowing down a bit. But next year, car manufacturers won't be able to afford such hesitation. The reason is the further tightening of CO2 emissions regulations from 95 to 80 grams of CO2 per kilometer on average. This can only be achieved through massive electrification. The exciting question will be what is more favorable for car manufacturers: increasing the self-registration of electrically powered vehicles, discontinuing combustion models, or simply introducing models that customers find so attractive that they can't resist.
Could this now work with the newly presented A6 E-Tron? The success of an electrically powered vehicle is likely to depend on three factors. Lightning-fast charging could be just as crucial as an attractive appearance. And on top of that, it must be communicated to potential customers that electric mobility really works. Well, that the new A6 E-Tron could win hearts is already well-communicated, as the team on site pulls off the covers from the first exhibition cars. It feels like a carefully further-developed E-Tron GT, at least the latest Audi electric car comes close to its coolness factor. And then the whole thing rolls onto the market as an estate. Exactly what Europe needs, isn't it?
The Audi A6 E-Tron charges lightning-fast
Let's take a look at the charging factor. Since the PPE platform, on which the recently introduced Q6 is also based, is hidden under the bodywork, the same lightning-fast conditions apply for charging the battery as with the latest electric SUV. In plain language: the battery charges from 10 to 80 percent in just 21 minutes (with a peak charging power of 270 kW). And the 800-volt system really pumps a lot of energy into the storage unit, which has a capacity of 100 kWh. By the way, that's enough to drive up to 750 kilometers (depending on the configuration) on a single charge, according to WLTP.
The rear-wheel-drive variants are more efficient than the quattro versions. However, the Bavarians are striving for high efficiency with the combination of asynchronous and permanently excited synchronous machines. Are you already getting excited, dear family driver? Those who want to save on the (expensive) battery factor later can also opt for a version with just over 80 kilowatt hours.
By the way, the estate boot looks quite large. You could even start a larger DIY store shopping trip with that. Sounds good, doesn't it?
And then there are also various light shows to appeal to potential customers' hearts. A fire-red illuminated Audi logo as a mating accelerator for people who already have almost everything. Or the active light signature with adjustable graphics. Unnecessary, but still cool. Audi would now protest and highlight the safety aspect. After all, illuminated warning triangles are also displayed in case of emergency braking or in the event of a car-to-X information about a potential hazard spot.
Take a peek inside the exhibition vehicle and scrutinize it thoroughly, since we can't drive it today. Has Audi run out of creativity? The large screen unit is indeed well-designed, but also seems to be a direct carryover from the Q6 and A5. Let's move on, as other manufacturers might do the same. Cost savings clearly take precedence over innovation here.
At least the passenger gets their own display, and the driver enjoys an extensive head-up display with augmented reality features. Plus, there's voice control with Chat-GPT integration. You can even ask the car about Ingolstadt's population. As for space, it's no surprise that the nearly five-meter-long A6 offers plenty of room, especially in the rear.
For now, we're left with the technical specifications to look forward to. For instance, the A6 e-tron doesn't hug the speed limit with its top speed of 240 km/h. But don't get too excited, that's only for the pricey S model (550 PS). The rest will have to settle for 210 km/h. This might be a particularly German issue, but it's not insignificant for some. The base model (rear-wheel drive) already packs 367 PS, so no A6 e-tron can be accused of lacking power. Audi will also introduce a slightly weaker basic model.
The brief test drive suggests that even after many kilometers, you'll still step out of this Ingolstadt-made, silent electric car in good spirits. The seats feel luxurious, as expected in this league. Features like air suspension, cameras instead of exterior mirrors, and a panoramic glass roof that darkens at the press of a button are also on offer.
Intrigued? Deliveries are set to begin this fall.
The new A6 E-Tron's lightning-fast charging capabilities could significantly help car manufacturers comply with the tightening CO2 emissions regulations. The battery of the A6 E-Tron charges from 10 to 80 percent in just 21 minutes, which is crucial for the success and popularity of electric vehicles.
