Rahul Somvanshi
Audi has so far only offered its luxury SUVs with all-wheel drive. Now, there is a cheaper entry-level version with a larger range. The new Audi Q6 electric SUV is now available to order with rear-wheel drive only. The Q6 SUV E-Tron Performance, introduced at a price of 68,800 euros, marks a shift in Audi’s strategy. At the world premiere in March 2024, Audi introduced two all-wheel-drive versions, the Q6 e-tron quattro and SQ6 e-tron quattro, with 285 and 380 kW power outputs, respectively.
With a usable battery capacity of 94.9 kilowatt-hours (kWh), the Ingolstadt-based automaker announced that a range of up to 641 kilometers is possible according to the WLTP test cycle. This model uses the same 100 kWh battery (94.9 kWh net) as the all-wheel-drive versions but has only one electric motor on the rear axle.
A permanent magnet synchronous machine (PSM) is said to deliver a system output of 240 kW (326 PS) in launch control mode and accelerate the vehicle from zero to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. The maximum speed, according to the configurator, is 210 km/h. This motor delivers 485 Nm of torque and can recharge enough power for up to 260 kilometers in ten minutes.
The Q6 E-Tron Performance is the first model on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) to be driven solely by a rear motor. Audi developed the PPE together with Porsche. The electric motor on the rear axle is a ‘compact and powerful permanent magnet synchronous machine (PSM),’ which is not surprising since the all-wheel-drive models also have a PSM at the rear and an asynchronous motor (ASM) at the front axle.
The charging speed remains unchanged compared to the quattro variants. At an 800-volt fast charger, the Q6 E-Tron charges from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. The maximum charging power is 260 kW, slightly less than the 270 kW of the all-wheel-drive versions. Audi mentions that the gross and net energy content remains the same, but the impact of the ten-kilowatt peak charging power on the charging time is unknown.
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The rear-wheel-drive model has an unladen weight of 2.2 tons (2,275 kilograms with the driver), making it exactly 125 kilograms lighter than the Q6 e-tron quattro. The permissible total weight of the Q6 e-tron Performance is lower at 2,815 kilograms. The rear-wheel-drive model can tow up to 2,000 kilograms on the trailer hitch, while the quattro is rated for 2.4 tons. The payload is the same at 540 kilograms, and the support load (100 kilograms) and roof load (75 kilograms) are also unchanged.
Delivery of the rear-wheel-drive model is planned for the third quarter of 2024, only a few months after the two all-wheel-drive models, which are scheduled to be delivered to customers from August. The Q6 e-tron quattro is available from €74,700, and the top model SQ6 e-tron quattro from €93,800. All variants are built at the main plant in Ingolstadt.
Later, another variant below the now-introduced Q6 e-tron Performance is expected. Audi had already hinted at two more rear-wheel-drive variants at the world premiere. In addition to the model ‘focused on efficiency and range’ (the Q6 e-tron Performance with the 100 kWh battery), there is also expected to be an entry-level version. This version is expected to have only ten instead of twelve battery modules installed in the underbody, resulting in an energy content of 83 kWh. When and at what price this entry-level model of the Q6 series will be available is still unknown.
