With the Q6 e-tron range, Audi is presenting the first production vehicle based on the PPE, the newly designed platform specifically for battery electric vehicles. The technical components of Premium Platform Electric – which was designed in partnership with Porsche – have been tailored to the particular requirements of electric vehicles and arranged according to functional aspects, so allowing optimum use to be made of an electric vehicle’s advantages when it comes to vehicle geometry, available space and weight distribution.
The PPE also offers space for a completely redeveloped high-voltage battery. The battery in both model variants, the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro and Audi SQ6 e-tron, boasts a gross storage capacity of 100 kWh (net 94.9 kWh). It consists of just 12 modules with a total of 180 cells. The 15 cells per module are connected in series. For comparison: the battery in the Audi Q8 e-tron comprises 36 modules and 432 cells.
Fewer modules means that the battery requires less installation space, is lighter and can be better integrated into the vehicle’s crash structure and cooling system. A cooling plate integrated into the battery casing also ensures uniform transfer of heat – and thus near-optimal battery conditions. The Audi Q6 e-tron’s protective side sills are attached not to the battery but to the body, ensuring added stability. The underfloor protection in fibre composite material is also new. This construction reduces the weight, protects the lithium-ion battery from damage and improves the battery’s thermal isolation from its surroundings. This means that the high-voltage battery in the Audi Q6 e-tron can cool or heat more efficiently.
The lithium-ion battery, with its total gross capacity of 100 kWh (94.9 net), offers an overall range of up to 625 kilometres. Thanks to 800-volt technology and a maximum charging capacity of 270 kW, the Audi Q6 e-tron enables short charging stops. At appropriate charging points (HPCs), electricity for a range of more than 255 kilometres can thus be charged in ten minutes. The state of charge (SoC) can be increased from 10 to 80 per cent in around 21 minutes.
For the first time in an Audi model, the Audi Q6 e-tron now also boasts the new electronic architecture E 1.2, which was designed with CARIAD, the software powerhouse from the Volkswagen Group. The name E stands for end-to-end electronic architecture. A standardised electronic-architecture framework based on a new domain computer structure with five high-performance computers operates all vehicle functions – from infotainment and driving functions to semi-automated driving in later evolutionary stages. The E 1.2 electronic architecture forms the basis for a seamless digital experience in the interior, facilitates future innovations and represents the next step in the digitalisation of Audi’s model portfolio.