Skip to footer

Audi Q6 e-tron takes on Tesla Model X ahead of Frankfurt auto show

Audi and Tesla are locked in battle of electric SUVs. Audi on Wednesday released the first look at the e-tron quattro, a vehicle to rival the Tesla Model X  that will make its debut in September at the Frankfurt auto show. 

|
Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters/File
The Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro diesel-electric caron display during the second press day ahead of the 85th International Motor Show in Geneva. On Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, Audi released teaser shots of the new Q6 e-tron quattro, an electric SUV meant to rival the forthcoming Tesla Model X.

Audi is working on an electric SUV that will challenge Tesla Motors’ [NSDQ:TSLA] Model X when it arrives on the market in 2018. Today, the German automaker released some teaser shots of a concept previewing the new electric SUV. The concept is called the Audi e-tron quattro and will make its debut on September 15 at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show.

It’s built around the latest MLB Evo platform and was designed from the ground up as an electric car, with its shape designed in such a way as to reduce drag while also highlighting the technical aspects with its clean surfaces and edgy look. The concept also features an aerodynamically optimized underbody that’s completely closed, helping to achieve a low coefficient of drag of 0.25—a record for the SUV segment, according to Audi.

Its electric drivetrain was developed using knowledge gained in the development of the R8 e-tron electric supercar. Three electric motors—one on the front axle and two on the rear—are featured in the concept and create an all-wheel-drive system. A large lithium-ion battery is positioned between the axles and below the passenger compartment, helping to lower the center of gravity and provide better balance.

Inside, there are four individual seats. From the teaser shots, we can see that designers have added a high-tech interface with numerous display screens. There are screens for the main instrument cluster, central infotainment system, and separate HVAC controls for front- and rear-seat passengers. Audi has already confirmed with its series of forward-looking Prolouge concepts that such a design will feature in its next-generation models.

In terms of size, Audi says the concept sits between the small Q5 and mid-size Q7. This makes sense as the production version it will spawn is expected to be called a Q6 e-tron quattro. Audi has confirmed the vehicle will utilize batteries supplied byKorean firms LG Chem and Samsung SDI and feature a range of 310 miles on a single charge. This range is almost certainly based on the European testing cycle, which produces longer range ratings than our own EPA tests. A reasonable rating for the Q6 e-tron here might be 240 miles or so.

The Q6 is being heavily promoted as an electric crossover but Audi is investigating other options for the vehicle including a likely plug-in hybrid option as well as a less certain hydrogen fuel cell option. Hopefully we’ll have more details once this concept version makes its debut in Frankfurt. For more of our coverage on the upcoming German show, head to our dedicated hub.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to Audi Q6 e-tron takes on Tesla Model X ahead of Frankfurt auto show
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0819/Audi-Q6-e-tron-takes-on-Tesla-Model-X-ahead-of-Frankfurt-auto-show
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe