Audi unveils long-delayed Q6 e-tron just as electric-vehicle growth cools

AUDI has unveiled its delayed Q6 e-tron, seeking to restore momentum to the struggling brand with a luxury mid-size SUV as sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are cooling.

The 74,700 euros (S$108,763) vehicle, built on the same underpinnings as Porsche’s electric Macan, features fast-charging technology that returns the battery to 80 per cent full in just over 20 minutes. The car will be the first fully electric model made at Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, after software setbacks delayed its rollout by about two years.

“It is a huge responsibility for us to have the ramp up and production of this car” in our wheelhouse, factory head Siegried Schmidtner told reporters on Monday (Mar 18). The plant also has its own battery assembly.

Parent Volkswagen’s cash cow is preparing to rejuvenate its offering with a record lineup of new models after the brand started to trail rivals and fall behind in China, its biggest market. Audi last year replaced its chief executive officer and sought deeper ties with Chinese partner SAIC Motor on EV projects to help its turnaround.

The upheaval around the new EV platform – co-developed by Audi and Porsche – has helped rivals to a headstart. The Q6 e-tron, with deliveries starting during the third quarter, faces a deepening bench of competitors including Mercedes-Benz’s EQE, BMW’s iX and Tesla’s Model Y.

EV growth is slowing in several key European markets, where buying incentives have run out. Audi’s new CEO Gernot Döllner in December flagged the manufacturer is paring back its ambitious new model plans because of the slowdown.

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Audi is planning to introduce 20 models by 2026, with half of them fully electric. BLOOMBERG