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Audi's 2015 Electric SUV Plan: From Concept to e-tron and Q6 e-tron
In autumn 2015 Audi presented the e-tron quattro concept at the Frankfurt show and confirmed an all-electric SUV for 2018. Reports called it the Q6 e-tron. The production car arrived in September 2018 simply as the Audi e-tron, became the Q8 e-tron in 2022 and ended in February 2025. The Q6 e-tron name went to a different car in 2024.
Key takeaways
- Concept (IAA 2015): three motors, 320 kW with 370 kW on boost, a 95 kWh battery and a claimed range above 500 km.
- Production e-tron revealed in San Francisco on 17 September 2018; German price from €79,900.
- Renamed Q8 e-tron in November 2022; Brussels production ended in February 2025.
- The real Audi Q6 e-tron, built on the PPE platform, was fully revealed on 18 March 2024.
What Audi showed and said in 2015
The e-tron quattro concept previewed a luxury-class sport SUV that Audi promised for early 2018. The old 1cars report quoted Luca de Meo, then Audi's board member for sales, on pricing. According to that report, the car would cost roughly as much as a well-equipped A6, which it put at about €44,000–51,500. That would have undercut the Mercedes GLE.
| Parameter | e-tron quattro concept (2015) | Audi e-tron 55 quattro (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Motors | 3 (1 front, 2 rear) | 2 (1 per axle) |
| Power | 320 kW; 370 kW on boost | 265 kW; 300 kW on boost |
| Battery | 95 kWh, in the floor | 95 kWh gross |
| Range | Over 500 km (claim) | About 358–436 km WLTP, by version |
| DC charging | 150 kW, full charge in about 50 min | 150 kW, 0–80% in about 30 min |
| Drag coefficient | 0.25 | 0.27 with virtual mirrors |
The concept was 4.88 m long, limited to 210 km/h, and had inductive charging, solar cells in the roof and cameras with OLED screens instead of door mirrors.
Concept vs production e-tron
Compared with the concept, the production 55 quattro had 70 kW less peak power. Two promises survived: the 95 kWh battery and the camera mirrors, an option that made the e-tron only the second production car to offer them. The third motor moved to the later e-tron S, which reached 370 kW on boost.
The price did not: Audi listed the e-tron at €79,900 in Germany, and WLTP range stayed well below the concept's claim. Deliveries began in early 2019, about a year late, from Audi Brussels.
From e-tron to Q8 e-tron: the timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2015 | e-tron quattro concept at the Frankfurt show |
| 17 September 2018 | Production e-tron revealed in San Francisco |
| Early 2019 | European deliveries begin |
| June 2019 | Recall over a seal that could let water reach high-voltage parts |
| 2020 | Sportback version; the e-tron is Norway's best-selling car of the year |
| 9 November 2022 | Update and new name: Q8 e-tron, up to 114 kWh and 600 km WLTP |
| February 2025 | Production ends in Brussels |
The name from 2015 was reused later. Audi built the first Q6 e-tron at Ingolstadt in November 2023 and revealed it fully on 18 March 2024. It shares the PPE platform with the electric Porsche Macan and charges at up to 270 kW. The full story of the first car is on the Audi e-tron page, and its combustion-engined namesake is the Audi Q8.
Q6 e-tron in 2026: which electric Audi to buy
In October 2026 the Q6 e-tron and its Sportback are Audi's mid-size electric SUVs. A used e-tron or Q8 e-tron is the cheaper way in; check the battery health report and recall history, and estimate charging costs with the fuel cost comparison tool.
The 2015 rival, the Tesla Model X, remains a range benchmark. Browse more models in the electric cars section or the Audi catalogue.
FAQ
Was the Audi Q6 e-tron of 2015 ever built?
Not under that name. The SUV announced in 2015 reached production in 2018 as the Audi e-tron. The Q6 e-tron name was later given to a different electric SUV on the PPE platform, revealed in March 2024.
How powerful was the Audi e-tron quattro concept?
The 2015 concept used three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear. They produced 320 kW, rising to 370 kW on boost, with over 800 Nm and 0–100 km/h in 4.6 seconds.
Why was the Audi e-tron renamed Q8 e-tron?
With the November 2022 update Audi placed the electric SUV in its Q8 family. The update brought batteries of up to 114 kWh, faster charging and WLTP ranges of up to 600 km.
Is the Audi Q8 e-tron still made?
No. Audi announced in October 2024 that production would end, and the Brussels line stopped in February 2025. Its place in the range has passed to the Q6 e-tron.
