2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: Everything You Need To Know

Audi grows its ever-expanding lineup of electric vehicles (EV) with the addition of the new Q6 e-tron. Set to arrive later this year in the United States, there’s more to the Q6 e-tron than what you see at face value. It may be yet another electric luxury crossover SUV, but what you’re seeing from the outside only tells part of the story.

Moving forward, the Q6 e-tron will set the tone for future electric Audis in terms of battery technology, faster charging speeds, as well as driving dynamics. Underneath that familiar outer shell is a vehicle that creates a lot of firsts for the Audi brand—one that will also be inherited by future Audi electric luxury cars moving forward.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Audi.

The Q6 e-tron Rides On A New Bespoke EV Platform

The most interesting stuff about the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron isn’t actually what you see, but what lies underneath the vehicle and how it will set the tone for future electric Audis. That’s because the Q6 e-tron is completely new from the battery chemistry to the roof panel—sharing nothing from its Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron siblings. In fact, it’s even more cutting-edge than the sultry e-tron GT.

It’s Based On The PPE

The Q6 e-tron’s magic begins with its PPE. No, not personal protective equipment, but Premium Platform Electric. The new PPE that the Q6 e-tron is based on is an all-new bespoke EV architecture that Audi developed with Porsche. So yes, it means it will share a lot in common with the new Macan EV, but as with the two Volkswagen Group brands, Audi and Porsche have always done a good job of giving their models distinct flavors.

Anyway, what that means is that the Q6 e-tron inherits some of the clever battery and charging tricks that the Macan EV also has. This begins with its 800-volt architecture, wherein the 100 kWh (94.9 kWh usable) lithium-ion battery can accept up to 270 kW of DC fast charging.

However, if you’re only able to access a 400-volt charger, that’s when the computer systems begin bank charging. That basically means the 800-volt battery is split into two 400-volt batteries that charge in parallel. AC charging, however, maxes out at 11 kW, which is half of what EVs like the more affordable Hyundai Ioniq 5 can achieve.

PPE Also Means Performance With Efficiency

The PPE bespoke EV platform has a stronger focus on driving dynamics and efficiency compared to the MEB platform of the Q4 e-tron and the MLB Evo of the Q8 e-tron. This begins with the tuning of the two electric motors, because while it maintains the characteristic AWD grip of a typical Audi Quattro system, the electric motors in the Q6 e-tron are rear-biased. In fact, it’s the rear permanent-magnet synchronous (PSM) motors that work primarily whenever you drive, with the front asynchronous motor (ASM) powering the vehicle during high-demand situations.

Numerous efficiency improvements have also been implemented due to the PPE platform, and this begins with how the electric motors are cooled. Audi’s engineers have developed a system where the electric motors are directly liquid-cooled, such as the stator winding and permanent magnets in the rotor. As a result, the power-to-weight performance of the PPE’s electric drive motor is around 60 percent higher than that of the first-generation electric drives from Audi.

Furthermore, thanks to rotor oil cooling, Audi was also able to significantly reduce its use of heavy rare earth metals and, at the same time, increase the power density by 20-percent. As a result, the energy losses of the electric motors have been significantly reduced by around 50 percent compared to the first Audi e-tron SUV.

The Most Dynamic Audi Electric SUV Yet

Thanks to the new PPE, the Q6 e-tron is the most athletic and sporty Audi electric SUV to date. Not only will it come with performance and efficiency improvements never before seen in an Audi electric SUV, but it will also come with handling prowess that will hopefully make the Q6 e-tron one of the finest handling electric crossover SUVs at its price point.

Quattro (Initially) As Standard

In the United States, the Q6 e-tron will initially be offered with dual-motor Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) as standard. For the standard Q6 e-tron, this means a total output of 422 horsepower (456 horsepower in launch mode) and 428 pound-feet of torque. This is enough for a 0-60 mph time of just five seconds.

Audi Q6 e-tron Specs

(Data sourced from Audi)

On the other hand, the performance-oriented SQ6 e-tron has 483 horsepower (510 horses with launch mode) and 610 pound-feet of torque, which is good for a 0-60 mph time of just 4.2 seconds. Later down the line, single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) versions will also be offered. According to Audi, these RWD models will have a stronger focus on efficiency.

Athleticism Baked In As Standard

As mentioned, by using the new PPE platform, the Q6 e-tron has been given athletic abilities that were never before seen in an Audi electric crossover SUV. Apart from the rear-biased Quattro dual-motor AWD that also happens to be highly efficient, Audi’s engineers have spent a great deal of effort in making the Q6 e-tron feel sporty and athletic. How that translates into the real world is still unknown for us since we haven’t gotten our hands on a Q6 e-tron yet, but from the engineering deep dive Audi has provided, there’s plenty to get excited about the Q6 e-tron.

Those new electric motors require 30 percent less installation space, whilst also being lighter by 20 percent than previous Audi electric motors. The steering has also been bolted to the subframe for a more direct feel. Audi has also employed better suspension kinematics through the positioning of the control arms towards the front of the suspension arms in the direction of travel. This also contributes to better steering behavior as well as improved packaging for the battery.

As standard, the Q6 e-tron also comes with passive Frequency Selective Damping, which reduces damping forces with high-frequency bumps whilst maintaining high damping forces on low-frequency bumps. Finally, the optional adaptive air suspension is tied into the new Electronic Chassis Platform (ECP), which allows for individual operation of each damper every millisecond, depending on the road surface, the driving style, and the selected drive mode.

Familiar Looks At First Glance

Though there are a lot of interesting things happening underneath the Audi Q6 e-tron, we sure wish that the German automaker did something more creative to give this electric crossover SUV more distinction. The Q6 e-tron looks very familiar, though a lot of the interesting details of this electric crossover SUV are deep within its small details.

It’s All About The Light Signature

From an aesthetics standpoint, the Audi Q6 e-tron somehow looks like what you’d expect a middle child of the e-tron family to be. It’s a combination of certain elements that results in a vehicle that looks familiar, but not exactly pushing the boundaries of design. The SQ6 e-tron does look sportier, especially with its larger wheels, faux aluminum skid plates, and more aggressive bumpers, but by and large, the Q6 e-tron range also somehow combines elements of the Q4 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron.

Where it starts to get interesting is when you poke through the car’s lighting elements. The Q6 e-tron debuts Audi’s first production use of split-type headlights, which are the brand’s signature adaptive matrix LED headlights. The LED daytime running lights are also configurable, which, depending on the equipment selected, can feature up to eight different daytime running light patterns.

The lighting situation gets even more interesting when you go toward the rear, where the optional digital OLED rear light pattern is not just customizable, but also comes with safety benefits. The OLED rear lights indicate when the vehicle behind the Q6 e-tron is too close and provide a visual warning when someone is exiting the vehicle, among other capabilities.

Digitalization Is At Its Core

The new Audi Q6 e-tron also comes with a familiar interior design, but while it looks similar, the tech running the interior is completely new. As expected, you can expect top-notch material quality from an Audi, while the MMI infotainment you’re seeing is running a new operating system that’s based on Google’s Android Automotive OS.

Not Android Auto, let’s just clarify that (which it also comes with), but the operating system itself is called Android Automotive. This is composed of an 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.5-inch main infotainment screen, which can either be controlled through touch or through the digital assistant that is visualized through an avatar.

Because digitalization plays a major role in the Q6 e-tron, it isn’t surprising that it comes with its app store, along with optional extras like a 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, an interaction light bar, as well as the option to add a 10.9-inch front passenger display. The last item comes with so-called “shutter technology” that basically blocks the screen’s view from the driver while the passenger watches a movie.