- Audi Sport wants to prove the Q6 E-Tron is a true off-roader, though not in standard guise.
- All you need is a set of purpose-built portal axles, it seems.
“Let’s take the Q6 to Moab!” is not the first thing I’d say when waking up in the morning, knowing that my fancy new electric crossover has just finished charging in the garage. That’s because the Audi Q6 E-Tron Sportback is purely an asphalt machine, despite having dual-motor all-wheel drive and plenty of torque off the line.
Just for fun, though, wouldn’t it be nice if you could actually drive a Q6 E-Tron on Moab’s Hell’s Revenge trail, not make a fool out of yourself, and then drive back home in silence and comfort? I think it would, and I think some people at Audi feel the same way because otherwise, they wouldn’t have made the crazy EV you see in the photo gallery below.
It’s called the Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept and before you rush to Audi’s website to order one, you should know that it’s strictly a one-off. But it’s a really cool one.
First off, it has portal axles that raise the ride height of the EV by 6.3 inches (160 millimeters) and increase torque at the wheel by 50% compared to the standard coupe-like electric crossover. According to Audi, the concept can now deliver a combined torque of up to 9,883 pound-feet (13,400 Newton meters) for a 10-second peak–an increase of 3,245 lb-ft (4,400 Nm) over the production car. Again, this is measured at the wheel, which is much higher than the effective output of the electric motors thanks to gearing down.
The massive torque increase did hurt the top speed, though. The Audi E-Tron Offroad Concept can now only reach 108 miles per hour (175 kilometers per hour), which is still “adequate for an off-roader,” as per Audi. I agree. Power comes from two electric motors which offer a combined output of 509 horsepower (380 kilowatts), the same as the standard SQ6 E-Tron.
6
Audi
Those trick new portal axles were developed from the ground up instead of just picking a ready-made product from an aftermarket company. This allowed Audi to integrate them into the hub assemblies on both the front and rear axles. On the other hand, fitting portals meant the suspension links had to be modified to make sure everything was proper for road use.
Audi says the lifted Q6 E-Tron can climb gradients of up to 100%, which is pretty impressive. It doesn’t mean it can climb vertically, though, as a 100% slope means it has a 45-degree.
“The Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept is a reinterpretation of Quattro,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “The model shows the potential that our platform for all-electric vehicles already has today. This vehicle can claim new ground. We look forward to seeing our customers’ reactions to this highly emotive car.”
The Audi Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept will make an appearance at this year’s F.A.T. Ice Race in Zell Am See, Austria, on February 1 alongside legendary motorsport names like the Porsche 911 GT1.
