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In 2025, the long-distance road trip is still the ultimate benchmark for any car. One Audi Q6 e-tron, named “Audrey” by her owner, just completed a 2,000-mile, 14-day journey from San Francisco to Vancouver, British Columbia, and back. The full report, shared on Reddit by user Emergency_Snow3914, revealed not only how the Q6 performed under the stress of fully loaded family travel but also how it managed terrain and conditions that tested every part of the vehicle’s design.
“Four-month-old Audrey (Prestige / black with beige interior) carried our family of three plus a completely packed luggage area on a 2,000-mile, 14-day round trip from San Francisco to Vancouver, BC, and through many points in between. Here’s a summary with plenty of detail!
In short, it was a great journey for us and for Audrey. Charging was easy and fast, navigation and trip planning worked well using Audi’s system almost exclusively, and driving was smoother than any other car I’ve owned. The Q6 was also very comfortable even when seating five during visits with friends. Stability was calm through endless coastal mountain curves, the cabin stayed cool in 100°F heat (especially the back seat), and Audrey even went off road and through a stream to reach an ancient rainforest trail. We squeezed through a drive-through redwood tree (barely!). We had a couple of glitches including one complete loss of audio, which came back after resetting the MMI. These issues should not happen at a luxury price point, but nothing major held us up.
In the U.S., we relied on Electrify America (EA), which was free for the first year. We had no trouble finding stations where needed except in Canada, where we used a free destination charger at our hotel. At EA “hyper” chargers, we never needed more than 20 minutes to top up and it often felt faster than our old Tesla stops. That said, EA stations are smaller and busier. While Tesla Superchargers often sat half-empty in prime parking spots, we had to wait about 20% of the time at EA’s 4–6 stall stations, usually tucked at the far side of lots. Fortunately, waits were always short.
Out of pocket, we paid just $25.93 across three stops (which we probably didn’t need), plus $17 at one hotel that charged for overnight trickle charging, which was annoying since no other hotel did this. My advice is to check ahead to see if your hotel charges. We know Tesla Supercharger access is coming eventually with an adapter, but honestly EA worked well enough for us.
The real question will be whether Supercharger pricing is worth it compared to EA once our free trial ends. On the software side, we couldn’t find a way to stop charging from inside the car, which was frustrating. Similarly, we couldn’t figure out how to make it charge “just this once” to 90% without canceling the trip plan. Hopefully, Audi fixes this.
Audi’s navigation and trip planner were solid overall but with some quirks. At first, the system wasn’t prioritizing Electrify America stops. I tried A Better Routeplanner (ABRP, paid version), which was the only way I found to show EA chargers in Google Maps via Android Auto. Midway through the trip my Android phone went into a boot loop, forcing a full reset and reinstall. I
suspect either the USB connection or ABRP (it’s a busy app) played a role. After that I stopped using Android Auto altogether and just used inductive charging. This experience reinforced how valuable it is to have physical key fobs since phone-as-key still doesn’t work reliably, and if your phone dies, you need a backup. The Audi nav got us lost a couple of times, sending us to the wrong side of a mountain or down roads that didn’t lead to our stops. Fortunately, entering the exact address fixed it.
My recommendation is to always confirm addresses for new places. Another quirk is that when entering sequential stops, the system didn’t order them sensibly. We had to manually rearrange them in the trip planner. That said, the turn guidance was excellent, and the premium trim’s head-up display was invaluable in unfamiliar areas. The inset lane and exit guidance became one of my favorite features.
While charging itself was smooth, EA’s site design often left much to be desired. Chargers were hidden in corners, half-flooded in puddles, blocked by poorly placed bollards, or mounted on platforms that interfered with opening the car doors. Tesla’s thoughtful layout really puts EA to shame.
Economy Plus mode kicked in automatically once when we dipped to about 60 miles of range. We were driving 70–75 mph with AC in 90°F heat, approaching city traffic. The mode dimmed the displays, tinted them green, reduced AC significantly, and suggested slowing to 55 mph. The effect on range was impressive with hardly any battery loss in the last 10 miles. I’m undecided on whether it’s necessary, but as a safety net, it’s useful.
We drove through a heatwave, and the Q6’s AC was consistently strong. The car stayed very comfortable, and the app’s “comfort mode” was excellent for pre-cooling. We once came back from a grocery run to find it almost too cold inside. It’s reassuring to think that much of this energy is increasingly supported by solar, and we saw countless solar arrays along the way.
We shifted to Off-Road mode on gravel roads, and Audrey handled it like a champ, stable on steep gravel, through ruts, and across streams. I’m still unclear on the difference between Off-Road and Off-Road Plus (especially regarding stability control), but it worked beautifully.
On our whole West Coast trip, we only saw one other Q6. In Canada, we noticed more Audis overall, but still no Q6s. EVs on the road were mostly Teslas, Ioniqs, Bolts, Mach-Es, VWs, and Kias. The Q6 feels rare and special right now. Does anyone else see many out in the wild?
Now Audrey is back home and needs a good wash, plus she picked up a door ding along the way. The metallic black is stunning but hard to keep clean. I’m hoping Audi addresses the software issues, the thin audio quality, and the frustrating text-message swiping requirement on startup. But overall, I’m in love with this car. It feels like a true full-featured vehicle that’s already part of our family. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing about your road trips too!”
Charging was expected to be the trip’s weakest link, but it turned out to be one of its highlights. Using Electrify America stations for nearly every stop, the family reported never waiting more than 20 minutes at a charger.
Audi Q6 e-tron Specifications & Variants
- First production model on Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE), shared with Porsche’s next-gen Macan
- Offers a single‑motor RWD variant (~322 hp) and a Quattro AWD (~456 hp) with launch control; the top-performance SQ6 version delivers up to 517 hp
- Quattro version hits 0–60 mph in approximately 4.9 seconds with launch control engaged
- RWD version delivers an EPA-estimated 321 mi range using a 100 kWh battery and supports fast charging at up to 260–270 kW
The owner even noted that the pace of charging felt quicker than their previous Tesla Supercharger experiences. With the first year of EA use included, their only out-of-pocket charging costs totaled just $25.93, barely enough to cover two gallons of premium fuel. For a vehicle carrying three people, a full load of luggage, and running air conditioning in 100-degree heat, that is a milestone worth noting.
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On the road, the Q6 demonstrated composure that impressed even a seasoned driver. “Driving was smoother than any other car I’ve owned and more comfortable, even seating five when we visited friends,” the owner wrote. Twisting mountain roads failed to unsettle the SUV’s stability, while long stretches of highway confirmed its ability to settle in as a long-distance cruiser. The climate system, often overlooked until it fails, kept the cabin cool in searing conditions. Rear passengers in particular benefitted from stronger airflow than in previous vehicles, a detail that only matters when you’re traveling with family in the middle of a heat wave.
How The Audi Q6 e-tron Performed On The Road
The trip wasn’t confined to paved highways. Off-road mode was engaged for gravel stretches, ruts, and stream crossings on the way to remote trailheads. According to the owner, Audrey handled the conditions “like a boss.” This wasn’t casual dirt-road posing but genuine backcountry driving where traction, stability, and ground clearance had to deliver. The SUV’s ability to pivot from luxury highway miles to forest-road grit was one of the trip’s defining discoveries.
Like any real-world test, there were hiccups. The Audi navigation system occasionally misrouted the family, sometimes sending them to the wrong side of a mountain.
At one point, the audio system failed entirely until reset. Charging stations, though quick, were sometimes tucked into poorly designed corners of parking lots. But these problems never stopped progress. They became footnotes in a larger story, and fellow Reddit users responded in kind: “Fantastic story telling I enjoyed the read, thank you! I plan on taking mine on some trips later this year. Very inspiring read.”
How Fast Can The Audi Q6 e-tron Charge?
- Achieves 10–80% charge in about 21 minutes under 800-volt architecture
- Reviewers praised its quiet, smooth ride quality, refined cabin, and adaptable chauffeured feel
- Seen as a pivotal model for Audi’s EV transition, built on PPE and expected to shape the brand’s direction into the electric era
Efficiency figures provided another layer of credibility. Throughout the trip, the Q6 averaged 3.2 miles per kWh. Fellow owners in the thread noted how impressive that was, given the load and the use of air conditioning almost constantly. The owner added that descending from Mount Hood pushed efficiency even higher, demonstrating how regenerative systems could stretch range in the right conditions. Combined with the low charging costs, the Q6 proved that long-distance travel is not just possible but also economical.
The owner closed their report with a simple but telling line: “I am feeling the love for this car, and it feels great to have a full-featured car that is well used.” That sentiment captures the entire story. Over two weeks and 2,000 miles, the Q6 wasn’t treated delicately; it was driven hard, packed full, pointed down gravel, and parked under redwoods. It returned home with a door ding and some dirt, but also with the confidence of a car that had proven itself. For a family, for a driver, and for a growing community of owners, the Q6 e-tron has shown it can carry the torch for the great American road trip.
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
