Audi says its new Q6 e-tron is “close to production” as puts it to the test in the far northern outskirts of Europe. New photos of the Audi Q6 e-tron show what we can expect from the model set to launch the brand with four rings into a new era, starting later this year.

Audi shows near-production Q6 e-tron testing photos

The Audi Q6 e-tron will be a car of many firsts for the German luxury automaker. For one, the production model will be the first electric vehicle built at Audi’s Ingolstadt facility in Germany.

The Ingolstadt plant was established in 1949 and has been at the heart of Audi’s production capabilities, building some of the brand’s most iconic cars.

Audi is transitioning the plant to build EVs only by 2028, beginning with the e-tron Q6 later this year, and will establish an in-house battery assembly factory to boost supply and streamline the manufacturing process.

Another first for the Audi Q6 e-tron will be its architecture. The Audi Q-6 e-tron will ride on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) technology platform co-developed with Porsche.

The PPE platform is designed to support a wide range of high-end performance EVs, such as the Audi Q-6 e-tron, Porsche Macan EV, and Audi A6 e-tron, all of which balance differentiation with carry-over and modified parts.

Audi says the PPE system offers the “best of two worlds” between its current MEB, used for the VW ID.4, and the J1 platform with an 800V electrical system, efficient and powerful e-motors, and innovative battery tech.

The automaker previewed a “production-oriented” Audi Q6 e-tron blazing through the snowy off-roads of Northern Ireland with new photos.

The launch of the Q6 e-tron later this year will begin a new BEV offensive, including ten new electric vehicles globally by 2026.

Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said, “With the Audi Q6 e-tron, e-mobility is coming from Ingolstadt for the first time,” after EV deliveries grew 44% to 118,196 units and Audi reached record-level revenue in 2022.