Audi is resolutely pushing ahead with its transition, or “e-volution,” toward electric-powered mobility with the introduction of the new, all-electric Audi A6 e-tron concept. Unveiled to the world at the recent Auto Shanghai show, the A6 e-tron concept is far more than just a simple design exercise. The model indicates the direction of Audi’s future production cars, showing just how dynamic and elegant electric-powered luxury vehicles from the brand will look like.
Here are five electrifying things to know about the A6 e-tron concept:
1. Its significance to Audi is captured in its model name.
The A6 designation has represented Audi in one of the automotive world’s highest-volume segments since 1968 (it was known as the Audi 100 until 1994). The e-tron nameplate, meanwhile, has identified Audi’s electrified and all-electric models for more than a decade now. So, the A6 e-tron concept clearly underscores not only its place in the brand’s highly successful luxury-class model series, but it also signals its key role in Audi’s electric-powered future.
2. It introduces Audi’s new technology platform.
Underpinning the A6 e-tron concept is Audi’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture which will serve as the brand’s technology platform for future models. PPE can accommodate a diverse range of models because it is scalable, allowing it to fit different sizes of battery and wheelbase lengths. It can also be used for SUVs with a high ground clearance, and for more dynamic models with a lower ride height. Audi’s first production models in the B- and C-segments using PPE will begin to arrive in markets in 2022.
3. Its PPE architecture ensures it is as dynamic and efficient as it looks.
At the heart of the A6 e-tron concept’s drive system—and that of all future PPE models—is an 800-volt architecture that ensures efficient charging times and less weight. PPE also declares that what the car’s lines imply is actually translated into dynamic driving performance and everyday suitability. So, some versions of the A6 e-tron can be expected to boast a range of more than 700 kilometers and the most powerful one can sprint from zero to 100 km/h in less than four seconds.
4. It continues Audi’s leadership in lighting technologies.
Further identifying the A6 e-tron concept as an Audi is its lighting technology. The A6 e-tron’s Digital Matrix LED and digital OLED lighting ensure maximum brightness and a wide range of features while at the same time offering customizable light signatures. Three high-resolution LED projectors are built in into the sides of the body to greet occupants with messages. More light projectors display warning symbols on the ground—to warn a bike rider that the car door is about to open, for example—and generate turn signals.
5. Its shape and paintjob makes the car energy-efficient.
Aerodynamics has always played a key role in Audi models. The Audi 100 set the benchmark in its class from 1982, and the A6 e-tron concept continues this success among electric vehicles. This leadership is illustrated best in the A6 e-tron concept’s “Heliosilver” paint color, which not only accentuates the aerodynamic forms of the car’s body, but also offers tangible technical benefits that reduce energy consumption. Heliosilver reflects the thermal radiation of sunlight, reducing the amount of energy that enters the A6 e-tron concept’s interior. This means that in many situations, there is no need to use the air-conditioning, which is one of the main factors that impact the energy consumption in electric vehicles.
