Audi, along with its Chinese subsidiaries FAW and SAIC, launched the A6 e-tron concept, an all-electric four-door coupe to replace the combustion sedan.
The A6 e-tron will be Audi’s first vehicle on the PPE technology platform, with all production work done in the Chinese plant. Audi and its sister company Porsche developed the new Premium Platform Electric architecture to house a new set of premium EVs. In the Auto Shanghai presentation, Audi revealed a new A6 e-tron concept, confirming that there will be no gasoline-powered A6 vehicle in the next generation, at least in China. The production A6 e-tron should retain 95% of its looks and features, with the company setting a launch date of 2023, expected to come out as a 2024-year model.
The A6 e-tron concept measures 195.2 inches long, 77.1 inches wide, and 56.6 inches tall. Hence, it’s 1-inch longer, 3-inches wider, and 1-inch lower than the current generation A6. As a first for the A6, Audi has opted to go for the A7-like fastback roofline making it sportier and more aerodynamic than before.
As with Audi’s other EVs, the front fascia features a body-colored insert covering the place of the front grille. Meanwhile, there is an additional black trim at the bottom of the doors to decrease visual mass since the doors are taller than the conventional A6 because of the battery pack placed under the floor. Thanks to the streamlined design, the A6 e-tron has a drag coefficient of 0.22Cd. That’s on par with the Porsche Taycan, although less than the recently-revealed Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The Audi A6 e-tron packs a 100kWh li-ion battery pack and an 800V architecture. It supports 270 kW fast charging—10 minutes charge provides 186 miles of range while charging from 5-80% takes only 25 minutes. Audi said that the EV would roughly give 434 miles of range, although that might change in the production model.
However, the luxurious EV will be available in many powertrain layouts, and each one will provide a different range. The entry-level model will have a single electric motor on the rear axle, but higher-end models will get dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The latter will provide a sub-four-second 0-60 time, producing 469 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque.
Audi painted the concept in a special Helio Silver paint. The company went with this paint because it protects the cabin from the sun’s heat radiation and keeps the interior cool. As a result, the climate control will consume less energy from the battery. Audi even says that the passengers will rarely need to turn on the air conditioner, although that sounds a bit far-fetched.
Another interesting part of the A6 e-tron is the projector headlights. Audi has already shown such technology, but this time the driver and/or passengers can literally play games on the projected picture while the vehicle is charging. It surely beats Tesla’s dashboard screen in this regard.
The A6 e-tron will first launch in China, but other markets, like Europe, the USA, and Canada, should follow suit. Prices are still unknown but expect it to be more expensive than the current combustion A6.
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