Audi has just unveiled an electric off-road vehicle concept powered by a dual motor system poised to take on any rough terrain you throw at it. Based on the Q6 Sportback e-tron SUV, the vehicle is a more feasible design than the AI-Climber concept, and a glimpse into the future of off-roading as perceived by the German automaker. As per Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, this new all-terrain version is a “highly emotive reinterpretation of Quattro,” that will push the boundaries of on and off-road travel.
Dubbed the Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept, the EV tested the capabilities of driving in snow over inhospitable terrain during the Kitzbühel World Cup weekend in Austria. It manages to tackle 45-degree gradients with ease thanks to the ride height and optimized approach and decline angles. This performance car based on the in-house Premium Platform Electric (PPE), delivers a total of 380 kW power to the dual electric motors. The Q6 e-tron lineup has a good driving range, efficiency, and fast charging, so we can expect this graduated EV version to carry the same features or at best even better them.
Designer: Audi
One highlight of the concept you’ll notice instantly is its massive ride height which is 6.3 inches more than the standard model, giving it a dominating domineer. Audi has beefed up the suspension system with four portal axles that are designed from scratch, and integrated into the wheel assembly. This results in an increased torque by almost 50 percent – 9,883 pound-feet for 10 seconds, which makes it a capable off-road vehicle ready to take on the likes of Tacoma, Ford 150 Raptor, or Wrangler. The off-roader also gets a 9.8-inch wider track for superior control on uneven terrain while looking absolutely gorgeous crawling over the big rocks and ditches.
Coming on to the electric powertrain, the e-tron Offroad is capable of churning out 510 horsepower for more power at lower gears and goes at a top speed of 108 mph when riding normal roads. Last year the camouflaged Q6 e-tron Sportback was spotted riding on big chunky tires, and now the all-terrain SUV is finally official, even though it is just a concept prototype for now. We could see it coming out in a special edition variant in the future to see the response, and then release a widely available production model.
