Electric offroad

Its duel electric motors produce a combined 380kW power, and some very clever engineering enable it to climb gradients of up to 45 degrees – meet the Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept, a vehicle that opens up a world of possibilities for e-mobility and the brand’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE). Set to be debuted at this weekend’s F.A.T. Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria (1.2.25) the Q6 e-tron offroad concept takes the Q6 e-tron Sportback and gives it what can best be described as a very extreme makeover, increasing the ride height by 160mm and giving it a 250mm wider track for starters.

That’s before you get to the massive flared guards, off-road lighting both up front and roof mounted, huge wheels shod in all-terrain rubber and finished in a stealth, black on black paint and graphics [ackage for a ‘tough as teak’ presence.

But it’s under the skin that the real changes have been made, with newly developed portal axles giving the Q6 e-tron offroad concept unrivalled climbing ability and off-road capabilities. These four portal axles that were developed from scratch and are integrated into the wheel hub assemblies at the front and rear axles, requiring partial changes to the suspension links. The portal axles increase the combined torque at all wheels (10-second peak) to an extraordinary 13,400Nm, giving the vehicle a total increase of 4,400Nm.

So, while conventional portal axles enable an increase in torque of around 20 to 30 percent at the wheels, the new design from Audi increases torque at the wheel by 50 percent. This lowers the vehicle’s top speed to 175 km/h, but enables it to climb gradients of up to 45 degrees.

“The Q6 e-tron offroad concept is a reinterpretation of quattro,” says 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.”

This new concept study showcases the incredible versatility of the Premium Platform Electric on which the new Q6 e-tron models are based. Set to be officially launched in Australia next month, the Q6 e-tron has already received tremendous international reviews for its combination of comfort, performance and driving dynamics.

For now, the Q6 e-tron off-road concept remains just that, a concept. But given the tremendous potential of this vehicle and the brand’s propensity for taking arresting concepts and bringing them to production life, who knows what the future might hold for a vehicle like this?