Audi A6 e-tron Concept – Ingolstadt’s Most Direct Aim at the Tesla Model S Yet
By Edward A. Sanchez – April 20, 2021
I’m not going to belabor the fact of China’s increasing importance in the global auto market. That fact has been established for more than five years. So it’s no great surprise that Audi selected Auto Shanghai as the debut venue for its A6 e-tron Concept. It’s also no great surprise that the Volkswagen Group’s premium division is aggressively rolling out new battery-electric models. What’s most noteworthy about the A6 e-tron Concept is how close its specifications are to what most consider the unspoken standard in the premium EV space: the Tesla Model S.
Let’s look at the concept’s dimensions: 4.96 m (195.3 in) long, 1.96 m (77.2 in) wide, and 1.44 m (56.7 in) tall. For comparison, the Model S is 196 inches long, 77 inches wide, and 57 inches tall. That’s nearly spot on. Even the A6 e-tron’s fastback styling is evocative of the Model S’ profile.
The A6 e-tron will also ride upon the VW group’s PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform, which will underpin future premium EV models from Porsche and Audi. The Porsche Taycan and its stablemate Audi e-tron GT ride on the transitional J1 platform, which bridges the gap between the adapted MLB Evo platform of the e-tron SUV, and the PPE platform.
Depending on the specific configuration, Audi is claiming a WLTP range of up to 700 km (435 miles) and a recharge time of just 25 minutes to go from 5% to 80% state-of-charge using a DC fast charger (presumably 350 kW). The dual-motor powertrain has a combined output of 350 kW (469 hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque, for a claimed 0-62 mph time of less than four seconds.
Audi is building a plant in Changchun, China, northeast of Beijing, dedicated specifically to PPE vehicle production to serve that market. The A6 e-tron and other PPE models will also be built in Germany, presumably at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant near Ingolstadt, and Porsche’s Zuffenhausen plant. North American models will mostly likely come from Germany.
A specific production date for the A6 e-tron was not announced, with Audi only stating that series production of PPE-platform vehicles will start in 2022.
Although I alluded to Tesla in the beginning of this post, I’m not going to trot out the hackneyed “Tesla Killer” term, except for right there.
Musk has consistently stated the company’s mission has been to “accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy.” Musk and Tesla as a whole surely knew and anticipated that the company would soon have more competition in the EV space.
I truly believe it is not a zero-sum game. Not everyone can be a winner, and there will inevitably be some EV startups that don’t make it for the longer term. However, with the muscle and resources of one of the Top 5 global OEMs, my bet is that Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group will be among those that will be around for a while.
(Images courtesy Audi)
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