Today, Audi is unveiling the Q6 e-tron, a next-gen electric vehicle based on the new PPE platform co-developed by Audi and Porsche.
It is going to compete in the highly popular midsize SUV segment, and when it comes to specs and design, I think the German brand has a winner. But pricing is not available yet.
Disclosure: Audi paid for my flights to and from Munich, and my hotel stay so that I could get a “sneak preview” of the Q6 e-tron. The company had no say in our reporting, nor did it ask to.
Last week, Audi brought a bunch of auto journalists and myself to Munich to get briefed on the PPE platform, a new EV platform co-developed by Audi in Porsche, and get a first look at the German brand’s first vehicle built on it: the Q6 etron.
Electrek already checked out the Porsche Macan EV, the other PPE-based vehicle coming to market this year, but we are excited to see Audi’s own take on it.
While several legacy automakers are pulling back on their electrification plans, I made sure to poke around last week and gauge the German company’s own level of commitment to its electrification effort. I was pleased to hear that Audi is still committed to stopping launching new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2027 and going all-electric by 2033.
The launch of the Q6 e-tron makes this much more realistic as it not only comes based on a next-gen EV platform bringing a lot of improvements compared to Audi’s other EV platforms, but it also completes its SUV EV lineup with the Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron.
Audi Q6 e-tron’s new PPE platform tech
My main complaint about Audi’s electric vehicles was their efficiency. There were a few reasons for that. The automaker was, and still is to a lesser degree, fairly conservative with a big buffer on its battery packs.
Of course, Audi also makes premium SUVs packed with features, which makes it quite a challenge to achieve a high level of efficiency.
But with the PPE, Audi is benefiting from a much more efficient electric powertrain that helps make the Q6 e-tron much more efficient than previous generations.
At the battery level, PPE includes improvements at every stage, from the cells to the pack:
Audi is now using much more energy-dense CATL NMC cells in a prismatic form factor. It also increased the size of its modules with 15 cells per module and 12 modules per pack.
At the pack level, Audi’s PPE pack is more efficient in design with a new thermal management system.
For the Q6, the battery pack has a total capacity of 100 kWh and a useful capacity of 94.9 kWh:
The European market will get a version with the two middle modules removed for a total capacity of 83 kWh, but like with its other electric SUVs, Audi doesn’t believe that it’s worth bringing vehicles with shorter ranges to market in the US.
At the drive unit level, Audi has also made some major improvements with the PPE platform both on the power and torque density and with efficiency:
This was achieved through a bunch of improvements to advanced cooling and lubrification systems, amongst other things.
With the Q6, Audi is using an asynchronous motor on the front axel and a permanent magnet motor on the rear.
Audi has also improved battery preconditioning,w which now has an even greater impact on charge time:
The automaker already had a great charging curve, but it now says that the new battery pre-conditioning can shave off 18 minutes of charging in cold temperatures.
Speaking of cold temperatures, the Q6 is equipped with a new heat pump integrated with the powertrain thermal management system:
Heat pumps are a great way to minimize the impact of climate control on range. They are generally seen as particularly useful in colder climates, but Audi has shared some interesting data about their impact.
The automaker claims that the new heat pump in the Q6 e-tron can increase the range by 30 km (~19 miles) between -10°C to 20°C (14°F to 68°F):
Beyond all these efficiency and performance improvements, the PPE also brings scalability and cost improvements.
Audi Q6 e-tron Design
The Q6 is a midsize SUV coming to complete the electrification of Audi’s SUV lineup. It sits between the smaller Q4 and bigger Q8, while being the electric counterpart to the popular Q5.
The brand is doing something where the even numbers are electric and odd numbers ICE.
The Audi Q6 e‑tron has a length of 4,771 millimeters (15.6 ft), a width of 1,993 millimeters (6.5 ft) and a height of 1,648 millimeters (5.4 ft) – making it just a smidge bigger than the popular Tesla Model Y.
The vehicle has an extremely long wheelbase with short overhands and a high front-end – giving it an aggressive-looking stance despite some mostly soft lines on the sides.
It has a well-executed fake grille.
From the back, you can see the more classic Audi look:
You have 10 different wheel design options for the Q6 from 19″ to 21″.
The back also features the new second-generation digital Audi OLED lights. There are some really cool things Audi can do with those, but unfortunately, some of the functionalities, specifically everything with motion, won’t be available in the US due to regulations.
You will still be able to configure some static ‘light signatures’, which is pretty cool.
The front trunk or frunk is nothing huge, but it’s big enough to hold a small piece of luggage or your mobile charger.
It holds 64 liters (2.2 cu ft) of storage space.
The trunk is much more spacious at 526 liters (18.5 cu ft) of storage space with the backseat up. If you fold them down, the storage space increases to up to 1,529 liters (53.9 cu ft).
Moving to the interior, you will find a variety of interesting materials. I was particularly impressed by the version that I saw at the sneak preview, which had some cool cloth and mesh materials, but we were unfortunately told that some wouldn’t make it to the North American version of the car.
Nonetheless, the interior is solid with a large back seat that can comfortably seat people much taller than 6 ft.
You have a center console that folds in the middle and two USB C plugs underneath the rear climate controls.
But the cockpit is where the fun is at. The star of the show is a new curve display that actually consists of two screens: an instrument cluster in front of the driver and a touchscreen at the center of the dash:
There’s also an optional passenger display that has a privacy mode limiting the field of view so that the content is not visible to the driver. It enables the passenger to safely play videos on the screen while the car is moving.
As if that’s not enough, there’s also an optional heads-up display for the driver. It’s one of the best I’ve seen so far. It’s bright and covers a very large area that interacts with its environment, like integrating navigation.
Now, all of these screens are powered by new software built on the Android Automotive operating system. It’s smoother, allows easier and more in-depth software updates, and allows better and faster integration of third-party apps.
This should be a big step up in user experience inside the vehicle.
Audi Q6 e-tron Specs
During the sneak preview, we mainly saw the European versions of the Q6 and their specs, but Audi America has released some official specs and estimates.
For example, the North American market is actually getting more powerful motors on the Q6 e-tron.
Here’s what Audi is releasing so far in terms of specs for the US market:
The standard Q6 60 e-tron quattro achieves over 300 miles of range on the EPA test cycle based on preliminary manufacturer estimates.
To be announced later this year.
Charging
DC Fast Charging: 270 kW HPC @ 800 volts, capable of 10-80% SOC in 21 mins.AC Charging: 9.6kW (240V/40A)
DC Fast Charging: 270 kW HPC @ 800 volts, capable of 10-80% SOC in 21 mins.AC Charging: 9.6kW (240V/40A)
Lighting
Due to U.S. regulations, certain lighting functionalities are not available. More information will follow later this year.
Due to U.S. regulations, certain lighting functionalities are not available. More information will follow later this year.
When it comes to the range, Audi is only confirming “over 300 miles) on the EPA test cycle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets much more than that as it is getting 625 km (388 miles) on the WLTP standard.
Audi has always had a strong charging curve in its electric vehicles, and the Q6 e-tron with the PPE platform is no exception.
It’s capable of charging at 270 kW on a 800-volt system and 135 kW on bank charging on 400-volt.
But the really impressive thing is how the powertrain is able to keep the high charge rate at a high state of charge. Here’s the full charge curve:
The Q6 e-tron also has a strong 220 kW regenerative braking, and to our enjoyment, Audi is bringing a true one-pedal driving experience to the Q6 e-tron. You can choose between 4 different levels of regen braking with the top one allowing for one-pedal driving and a complete stop.
The electric SUV also comes with adaptive cruise control powered by a front camera, radar, and ultrasonic radars.
Exact pricing and availability have not been released just yet, but it is coming to Europe in the next few months and in North America toward the end of the year.
As for pricing, Audi has limited its communication to “between the Q4 and Q8,” which starts at $50,995 and $73,700, respectively.
No NACS for the Audi Q6 e-tron
This is a real bummer, but it’s not too bad, considering it might be the only real objective downside to this new entry from the German brand. Everything else is either great or subjective.
You also can’t really blame Audi, as it is more of a timing issue than anything. The automaker has announced plans to adopt NACS in North America, but the Q6 is coming a bit too soon for integration, which will come to new vehicles coming in 2025.
Owners are going to have to use an adapter to access the Supercharger network.
On the bright side, the Q6 e-tron has a great charging curve and also two charge ports. The DC-capable driver-side charge port is well located for the Supercharger network, and the passenger charge port is great for street charging.
Electrek’s Take
If you can’t tell yet, I really like this SUV. I only drove it for a few minutes, and it was a nice fully-loaded SQ6 with air suspension, so my driving impressions aren’t worth that much, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Audi is selling about 75,000 Q5 SUVs a year in the US now, and it expects the Q6 to take over that market as it transitions entirely to EVs over the next 10 years.
That’s a big and scary transition for a legacy automaker, but I think the Q6 e-tron should give them confidence going into it. Based on everything I’ve seen so far, it is highly competitive on the higher end of this segment. Emphasis on higher end. This is very much a premium and highly customizable vehicle.
The PPE platform looks like a solid base on which Audi built an interesting design packed with high-tech features, from the lighting to the HUD to the Android-based OS.
Obviously, Model Y comparisons are going to come since it’s now the world’s best-selling vehicle, and it also competes in the midsize SUV segment. During its own sneak preview in Germany last week, Audi itself identified the Model Y as a competitor.
That said, I don’t expect it to compete price-wise, especially in the US, since Audi doesn’t have access to the tax credit as it doesn’t have a US factory. If it does compete with the Model Y, it will mainly shave some demand off the top from customers looking for a more premium experience.
The Q6 e-tron will likely start at closer to ~$60,000, and you will be able to add options probably close to $80,000.
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The Dodge Charger Daytona EV made headlines when it rolled out fake engine noises as a way to make the EV appeal to muscle car drivers. As it turns out, they weren’t the right sort of fake engine noises – and now Stellantis has to recall 8,000 of them for a fix.
What’s more, the recall’s “suspect period” reportedly begins on 30APR2024, when the first 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona was produced, and ends 18MAR2025 … when the last Charger EV was produced.
RECALL CHRONOLOGY
On April 17, 2025, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization opened an investigation into certain 2024–2025 model year Dodge Charger vehicles that may not emit exterior sound.
From April 17, 2025, through May 13, 2025, FCA US TSRC met with FCA US Engineering and the supplier to understand all potential failure modes associated with the issue. They also reviewed warranty data, field records, and customer assistance records to determine field occurrences.
On May 14, 2025, the FCA US TSRC organization determined that a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to a lack of EV exterior sound, potentially resulting in noncompliance with FMVSS No. 141.
Basically, if you have a Dodge Charger EV, expect to get a recall notice.
It just keeps getting funnier
My take on the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, via ChatGPT.
If you’re not familiar with the Charger Daytona EV’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” it’s a system that employs a combination of digital sound synthesis and a physical tuning chamber (translation: a speaker) to produce a 126 decibel sound that approximately imitates a Hellcat Hemi V8 ICE. That’s loud enough to cause most people physical pain, according to Yale University – putting it somewhere between a loud rock concert and a passenger jet at takeoff.
While you could argue that such noises are part and parcel with powerful combustion, they’re completely irrelevant to an EV, and speak to a particular sort of infantile delusion of masculinity that I, frankly, have never been able to wrap my head around. Something akin to the, “Hey, look at me! I’m a big tough guy!” attention-whoring of a suburban Harley rider in a “Sons of Anarchy” novelty cut, without even enough courage to ride a motorcycle, you know?
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Is it an electric van or a truck? The Kia PV5 might be in a class of its own. Kia’s electric van was recently spotted charging in public with an open bed, and it looks like a real truck.
Kia’s electric van morphs into a truck with an open bed
The PV5 is the first of a series of electric vans as part of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle business (PBV). Kia claims the PBVs are more than vans, they are “total mobility solutions,” equipped with Hyundai’s advanced software.
Based on the flexible new EV platform, E-GMP.S, Kia has several new variants in the pipeline, including camper vans, refrigerated trucks, luxury “Prime” models for passenger use, and an open bed model.
Kia launched the PV5 Passenger and Cargo in the UK earlier this year for business and personal use. We knew more were coming, but now we are getting a look at a new variant in public.
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Although we got a brief glimpse of it earlier this month driving by in Korea, Kia’s electric van was spotted charging in public with an open bed.
Kia PV5 electric van open bed variant (Source: HealerTV)
The folks at HealerTV found the PV5 variant with an open bed parked in Korea, offering us a good look from all angles.
From the front, it resembles the Passenger and Cargo variants, featuring slim vertical LED headlights. However, from the side, it’s an entirely different vehicle. The truck sits low to the ground, similar to the one captured driving earlier this month.
Kia PV5 open bed teaser (Source: Kia)
When you look at it from the back, you can’t even tell it’s the PV5. It looks like any other cargo truck with an open bed.
The PV5 open bed measures 5,000 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width, and 2,000 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Although Kia has yet to say how big the bed will be, the reporter mentions it doesn’t look that deep, but it’s wide enough to carry a good load.
Kia PV5 Cargo electric van (Source: Kia)
The open bed will be one of several PV5 variants that Kia plans to launch in Europe and Korea later this year, alongside the Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab configurations.
In Europe, the PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo variant is rated with a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Kia PBV models (Source: Kia)
Kia will reveal battery specs closer to launch for the open bed variant, but claims it “has the longest driving range among compact commercial EVs in its class.”
In 2027, Kia will launch the larger PV7, followed by an even bigger PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1 in the works, which is expected to arrive sometime next year or in 2027.
What do you think of Kia’s electric van? Will it be a game changer? With plenty of variants on the way, it has a good chance. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Senate Republicans are threatening to hike taxes on clean energy projects and abruptly phase out credits that have supported the industry’s expansion in the latest version of President Donald Trump‘s big spending bill.
The measures, if enacted, would jeopardize hundreds of thousands of construction jobs, hurt the electric grid, and potentially raise electricity prices for consumers, trade groups warn.
The Senate GOP released a draft of the massive domestic spending bill over the weekend that imposes a new tax on renewable energy projects if they source components from foreign entities of concern, which basically means China. The bill also phases out the two most important tax credits for wind and solar power projects that enter service after 2027.
Republicans are racing to pass Trump’s domestic spending legislation by a self-imposed Friday deadline. The Senate is voting Monday on amendments to the latest version of the bill.
The tax on wind and solar projects surprised the renewable energy industry and feels punitive, said John Hensley, senior vice president for market analysis at the American Clean Power Association. It would increase the industry’s burden by an estimated $4 billion to $7 billion, he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s a new tax in a package that is designed to reduce the tax burden of companies across the American economy,” Hensley said. The tax hits any wind and solar project that enters service after 2027 and exceeds certain thresholds for how many components are sourced from China.
This combined with the abrupt elimination of the investment tax credit and electricity production tax credit after 2027 threatens to eliminate 300 gigawatts of wind and solar projects over the next 10 years, which is equivalent to about $450 billion worth of infrastructure investment, Hensley said.
“It is going to take a huge chunk of the development pipeline and either eliminate it completely or certainly push it down the road,” Hensley said. This will increase electricity prices for consumers and potentially strain the electric grid, he said.
The construction industry has warned that nearly 2 million jobs in the building trades are at risk if the energy tax credits are terminated and other measures in budget bill are implemented. Those credits have supported a boom in clean power installations and clean technology manufacturing.
“If enacted, this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country,” said Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, in a statement. “Simply put, it is the equivalent of terminating more than 1,000 Keystone XL pipeline projects.”
The Senate legislation is moving toward a “worst case outcome for solar and wind,” Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco told clients in a Sunday note.
Trump’s former advisor Elon Musk slammed the Senate legislation over the weekend.
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country,” The Tesla CEO posted on X. “Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”