Audi Electric SUV Will Be Sporty And Sexy

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler says the upcoming Audi electric SUV will be sporty and sexy, and that it will be “packed with utility.” Industry observers say the new electric SUV from Audi will be designated the Q6. An electric SUV to compete with the Telsa Model X is news, but the big news is about its range.

“When it comes to a battery electric vehicle, it was very clear for us, a range of 500 km is a must,” said Stadler, talking exclusively to  Britain’s Auto Express at the Shanghai Motor Show. Why is that big news? Because 500 kilometers translates into 300 miles. Even though official specifications for the much anticipated Tesla Model X have not been released, that car is based on the Model S chassis. The Model S with the greatest range is the P85D, rated at 265 miles. The newly announced Model S 70D has 240 miles of range.

The Model X will be heavier than the Model S, which invariably means it will have less range. Many think its range will be about 200 miles. If true, that will give the Audi Q6 a big advantage over the Model X in the marketplace. Range for electric vehicles is as important today as cubic inches were back in the heyday of big American V-8 engines.

The Audi Q6 and the Tesla Model X are destined to go head to head with each other for supremacy in the marketplace. No prices for either have been offically announced. Rupert Stadler says, “Believe me, the premium customer is prepared to pay a little bit more to say I’m doing everything well for the environment.”

Stadler is basing most of his hopes for the Audi Q6 on expectations that the infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles will increase dramatically in coming years, especially in China, which is now the biggest automobile market in the world.  “What we are seeing in China at the moment is there are some government decisions that will put [chargers] every 30 miles on 10,000 to 12,000 miles of highways. If this happens, and this will happen, then it could be an accelerator and create some good momentum. Hopefully the Europeans will follow.” He says the best time for the Q6 will be when that increase in charging infrastructure is completed — in 2018 or 2019.

Is Stadler correct in his prediction of a massive increase in charging capability in the next few years? If China is successful building more charge points, will other countries be as well? Certainly the US does not now have a plan to install a charging station every 30 miles.

Assuming all of Stadler’s optimism turns out to be be correct, will the public flock to Audi showrooms to get an electric SUV with the most range or will they flock to Tesla stores because the Model X has those cool “falcon wing” doors? There’s a lot of money riding on the outcome. And it will take a few years before we know the answer.