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In the great American tradition of road trips, where the interstates stretch out like taut guitar strings across the country, one Audi Q6 e-tron owner decided to test the latest electric SUV with a single-day, 600-mile jaunt.
He went to Reddit to talk about it.
“I had to go to Norfolk, VA, USA, for a meeting and did the 600 miles of driving in a day.
To start, the battery was charged to 100% at my house using the “Leave At” feature in the Audi App. I’d planned the trip using A Better Route Planner (ABRP) with all the details about my car filled in. Oddly enough, the night before it gave me one route, and as I got in the car and started driving … it gave me another route!
Because I am still on my Electrify America freebie plan, I prioritized them, and the ABRP found those charging stations easily enough. There was no waiting at any stop … actually, my car was the ONLY car in any of the three stops.
Leg 1 227 Miles: 100% down to 11% (13% was predicted), and I had 34 miles left. Used the hyperfast and it said it would take 30 minutes back up to 95% (my choice to go that high), but I went to the restroom, got a latte, and it was almost done! Note: I spent significant time going over 75 mph.
Leg 2: 250 Miles: 95% down to 15% and I had 40 miles left. Again, used the hyperfast and it took about 30 minutes to get back up to around 95% (was going for 100% but got tired of waiting. Note: More than 50 mph to 65 mph meant better performance.
Leg 3: 84 Miles: Topped back up to 95% for the final push home, and it took 18 minutes.
Leg 4: 50 Miles: Got home with 76% remaining and no need to use my home charging.
Key Notes:
You lose a lot of mileage at 75 – 85 mph speeds. 70 mph is pretty good, but 55-60 is best on the highway if you’re trying to stretch your mileage.
I got nervous when the % remaining got below 15%
The Guess O Meter was relatively accurate when I was driving 55 and under … which would make sense as I don’t do a lot of 70-80 mph highway driving.
The EA stations were all relatively new, clean, and near some shopping (Walmart, Target, and others)
EA gets confused when I use plug and play, so I start it manually using the app. It always says to “plug in first”, but when I do that, it wants to charge me a retail price. So, I go to the Audi App and use “Start Charger” and then plug it into my car. It seems to work for me.
Best to you all and happy motoring! 😉”
It’s a story about speed, efficiency, and the quiet realities of EV road tripping. At 75–85 mph, the Q6 managed just 2.3 to 2.4 mi/kWh, numbers that climbed to 2.7 at 70 mph and into the 2.9–3.1 range between 60–65 mph. Slip into the 55–60 zone and the range stretches noticeably, though the owner admits that after a stint at 80–85, the legal limit feels like crawling.
Future‑Ready EV DNA: What the Q6 Tells Us About Audi’s Electric Roadmap
- The Q6 e‑tron is Audi’s first production vehicle on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), jointly developed with Porsche, heralding a new era of shared architecture across future Audi EVs.
- It features second-gen OLED lighting capable of projecting active signals, like animated brake warnings, into rear lights, a real-to-road safety gesture, not just a gimmick.
- The Q6 e‑tron introduces a sweeping “Digital Stage” interior layout: a curved 11.9″ driver display, a 14.5″ central screen, plus an optional 10.9″ passenger display with privacy mode.
- The Sportback variant trims 38 mm off height, lowers drag coefficient to around 0.26, and boosts range, melding coupe-like lines with EV practicality.
The planning was meticulous: ABRP for route mapping, Electrify America for the charging backbone, and Audi’s “Leave At” feature ensuring the SUV rolled out with a topped-off battery. Each stop was drama-free, no lines, no occupied plugs, just empty stations gleaming under mid-Atlantic sunlight. It’s a reminder that while the EV charging network still has gaps, there are stretches of America where the system is ready for prime time.
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That’s not to say it was entirely plug-and-play perfection. Another Q6 owner on Reddit mentioned that enabling “Plug & Charge” in the settings eliminated app interaction entirely.
But in this case, after three attempts resulted in retail pricing, our driver defaulted to starting the charge through the Audi app before plugging in.
The Audi Q6 e-tron Experience
Performance-wise, this was the quattro model, but with a twist. In Efficiency and Balanced modes, the front motor is mostly dormant unless provoked by a firm push of the accelerator.
Switch to Dynamic, though, and the full twin-motor drivetrain wakes like a startled cat, delivering the kind of thrust that belies the SUV’s curb weight. Even in a trip about efficiency, it’s clear Audi hasn’t forgotten the joy of acceleration.
Back home, range anxiety is practically nonexistent thanks to a Level 2 charger in the garage. The owner plugs in every five to seven days, spends a quarter of what they did fueling their SQ5, and never sees the inside of a public station unless traveling. Oil changes and bad dealership experiences are gone, belts are a memory, and the gas station is now only a stop made in the spouse’s car.
Design That Speaks: Light, Space, and Quiet Luxury in the Q6 e‑tron
- With 800‑volt architecture and up to 270 kW DC charging, the Q6 goes from 10% to 80% state of charge in just 21 minutes, roughly enough juice for another 155 miles.
- European safety tests awarded the Q6 e‑tron a full five-star rating, reinforcing that its tech isn’t just flashy, it’s protective.
- Reviewers note the Q6 e‑tron rides and sounds like luxury defined by restraint, subtle cabin quietness, and smoothness that signal comfort as much as power.
70 mph is a reasonable compromise. And if you want to hammer along at 85 mph, expect an extra stop and a higher bill.
The Audi Q6 e-tron proved to be a long-legged, comfortable, and capable traveling companion. It’s as frugal or as indulgent as your right foot allows, sipping electrons in near silence.
The cross-country soundtrack may no longer be the bark of an eight-cylinder, but for a growing number of drivers, the quiet hum of electric propulsion is music enough.
Image Sources: Audi Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
