Ingolstadt - The station wagon is for all intents and purposes an extinct species in South Africa, but in other regions such as Europe they still have a relatively strong following even in spite of the surge in SUV sales.
But until now we haven’t seen any notable battery-powered wagons, but the new Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept shows that the estate format will survive the electric era.
The sleek looking wagon is based on the A6 e-tron sedan concept that was unveiled last year and as with its booted sibling a production version of the electric Avant appears to be on the cards, given that Audi describes it as a production-oriented concept car.
Built around the VW Group’s new PPE electric car platform - which was co-developed with Porsche - the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept was designed to show how dynamic and elegant the brand’s forthcoming “luxury class” electric vehicles will look.
Power comes from a pair of electric motors that together develop 350kW and 800Nm, allowing the vehicle to sprint from 0-100km/h in under four seconds. Audi says the entry-level models designed for efficiency will run from 0-100 in around seven seconds.
Depending on the drive system fitted, Audi claims a battery range of up to 700km between charges on the WLTP cycle. As with all PPE-underpinned vehicles, the A6 Avant e-tron boasts 800-volt charging technology that allows the battery to be charged with up to 270kW in a very short time at fast-charging stations. In fact, Audi claims that just 10 minutes are needed to charge it up for a range in the region of 300km.
“With the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept, we are offering a completely tangible look at future production models on our new PPE technology platform,” said Audi Board Member for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann.
“We’re not just electrifying the Avant’s successful 45-year history. What we want most of all is to use technical skills to add an exclamation point. In particular, this includes powerful 800-volt technology, 270 kW of charging capacity, and a WLTP range of up to 700 kilometres,” Hoffmann added.
Although it’s too early to say whether the forthcoming battery-powered A6 e-tron models will come to South Africa, the manufacturer is in the process of launching three electric car models locally, namely the e-tron SUV, e-tron Sportback and e-tron GT. You can read more about them here.
IOL Motoring