Audi will unveil the A6 E-Tron, an all-electric version of the stalwart sedan, later this summer.
This will be the second Audi model to use the Volkswagen Group’s 800-volt Premium Platform Electric (PPE) dedicated EV platform, which debuted earlier this year on the Audi Q6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan Electric SUVs.
Audi A6 E-Tron Concept – 2021 Shanghai auto show
Audi previewed the A6 E-Tron in 2021 with a concept of the same name. That concept, which Audi at the time said was 95% production ready, featured fastback styling closer to the current Audi A7 than the A6, while being roughly in sync with both models in size.
The concept featured a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain rated at 469 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, with acceleration to 62 mph in less than four seconds. A 100-kwh battery pack was good for 300 miles of range, Audi said at the time of the concept’s unveiling, with charging from 5%-80% in less than 25 minutes thanks to the PPE platform’s 800-volt electronics.
Audi A6 E-Tron Concept – 2021 Shanghai auto show
A wagon version, or Avant in Audi speak, is planned as well, although it may not debut alongside the sedan this summer. It’s also unclear whether an Audi A6 Avant E-Tron will reach the U.S. The BMW i5 Touring, a wagon version of what its likely to be one of the A6 E-Tron’s closest rivals, is not coming here. The A6 E-Tron sedan, though, is expected to reach the U.S. early next year as a 2025 model.
Unlike rival Mercedes-Benz, which has delayed its EV targets and plans to keep combustion models in its lineup into the 2030s, Audi is committed to launching its last gas-powered car in 2026 CEO Gernot Döllner said in March during the announcement of the automaker’s 2023 financial results. That will likely see the A6 E-Tron completely replace the internal-combustion A6 sedan and A6 Avant in the future.
