The Audi A6 Sportback e-tron is the second model to benefit from the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform. In short: 800V, a generous battery capacity (95 kWh usable) and charging powers of up to 270 kW. Beyond these figures, the German limousine (albeit a hatchback) has one more ace up the sleeve that makes it a particularly good partner for long journeys: an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.21. To get a glimpse of where things stand at the moment, the A6 Sportback is the most aerodynamic model both in the Audi lineup and the whole Volkswagen group.

The German model was part of the EUROCHARGE by Schaeffler caravan, the tour that crossed the most beautiful mountain passes in the Alps. For more than 4,500 kilometers in total, we tested the A6 Sportback e-tron’s handling both on highways (filled with roadworks and whatnot; hello, Hungary! hello, Austria!) and mountain passes, at altitudes of over 2,000 m.

Therefore, it’s time for a full report on energy consumption, real-life range resulting from the routes we’ve taken and, of course, the charging costs.

To avoid giant tables difficult to read from the first scroll, we’ve chosen to include two new elements: infographics, broken down by day (where you’ll find, for example, even info on how the altitude varied on a given day) and some conclusions we’ve drawn from the data.

Audi A6 Sportback e-tron: daily infographics on consumption, real range, charging costs

Audi A6 Sportback e-tron by the numbers:

• Total distance traveled: 4606.9 km
• Total charging stops: 12 sessions on the road + 5 overnight charges at the hotel
• Total time spent while charging on the road: 4 hours and 42 minutes (282 minutes)
• Total energy charged: 978.9 kWh, of which 300.4 kWh in hotels
  
• Total cost of charges (hotel charges were free): between €264.6 and €536 (depending on the charging app used)
• Fuel cost comparison (estimated per route):
  • A gasoline car of similar power (estimated average fuel consumption 11 liters/100 km, average price €1.8/liter) would have generated costs of around €912.
  • An equivalent diesel variant (estimated average fuel consumption 8 liters/100 km, average price €1.75/liter) would have generated costs of around €645.
    
• Weighted average of the energy consumption over the whole route: 18.7 kWh/100 km
• Weighted real average range: 511.9 km

Important mention on the driving style: Throughout the entire test, the car was driven in “Normal” mode. It was driven steadily, within the speed limits, with an approach as close as possible to the legal speed limit on each road segment.

Conclusions and observations

• Endurance champion: Completed 3 days on the road without a single charging stop and a highway day (661 km) with just one stop.
• Paradox of efficiency: The days with steep climbs up to 2,500 meters were the most efficient, with consumptions of 16.6 – 18.1 kWh/100 km.
• Charging speed: With an average charging time of less than 24 minutes, the A6 e-tron has harnessed the full power of the PPE platform.
• Real-life range: An average real-life range of over 510 km, calculated under extremely varied conditions, demonstrates the model’s solid performance.

Impressions of those who drove the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron in EUROCHARGE by Schaeffler

Alin Ionescu (Mașinistul)

Starting your journey in the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron quattro is both a curse and a blessing. Because the bar has just been raised high, right from day one. And we have 11 days and seven more cars to test drive, for which I need to recalibrate my expectations.

It was a long day, starting in Bucharest, crossing the Transfăgărășan, stopping for photos, then again to charge the cars, meals and logistical discussions in several OMV stations along the way. After 732 kilometers, we camped near Budapest. With this Audi, which costs over 100.000 euro, it didn’t seem like an effort. Or at least, not a bigger one than with any other car in the world – regardless of segment, powertrain type or price class. That’s how evolved the new A6 e-tron is.

Developed on the PPE platform, (which made its debut on the Q6 e-tron, as well as the Porsche Macan, which I’ll be meeting one of these days), the A6 has an 800V electric architecture, allowing it to charge with up to 270 kW of power. So even with a generous 94.9-kWh battery, charging times are short. Specifically, in all the stops today (three of them), I don’t think I’ve accumulated an hour of actual charging. Thanks to an aerodynamic coefficient of just 0.21, the A6 e-tron manages to get very good fuel economy even at highway speeds, allowing real-world ranges of over 400 km.

In addition, being a limousine (albeit of the hatchback variety) engineered by Audi, the assistance systems are highly evolved and work impeccably. On the highway (and beyond), the A6 e-tron drives semi-autonomously and provides a wealth of information via the augmented reality head-up display. Ride comfort is also impressive, as the model we tested is equipped with air suspension, while good soundproofing and exceptional aerodynamics make rolling noise extremely low. And then there’s the 462 HP of this quattro version, which make this 2.3-ton barge accelerate explosively with a harder push on the accelerator pedal. However, any electric, even the most affordable, feels fast. Yet there are other details that make the difference for this premium German sedan.

Laura Antonov (LaChicBoutique)

After just a few kilometers, the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron will make you kind of want an electric car (and be rich, obviously). And that’s because it’s extremely efficient. So efficient that it can get annoying when you’d like to stretch your legs out over a cappuccino. It’s very efficient and charges quickly, the winning combination for an electric car. It’s like when you find your favorite sweater on sale and winter’s just started, so you can still wear it for a long time.

As a passenger, I liked the display where I could change the music if I didn’t like my traveling companion’s tastes, and even fiddle with the navigation setup.

From the driver’s seat, there’s not much to complain about. I felt so spoiled behind the wheel that it raised the bar very high for the next car I drive. It maintains the optimal distance from the car in front, keeps you in the center of the lane without having to move a finger, decelerates on its own when it detects an obstacle or a vehicle in front, and when you signal to overtake, it does that almost on its own so you don’t get too much fatigue behind the wheel.

Basically, the about 350 kilometers really flew by and by the time I got to the hotel, I felt like after a spa trip with the girls.

The A6 Sportback e-tron is the perfect car for a road trip through Europe. And not just because it’s roomy and has an extremely generous trunk, but because it gives you that positive, laidback vibe, like a concierge going out of their way to fulfill your every wish. So there’s not much that can go wrong on your vacation. Unless, that is, you don’t know where you’re going to get more than 100,000 euro for your Audi A6 Sportback e-tron.

Gabi Nica (Cu și despre mașini)

After day two’s experience with the Swedish limousine disguised as an SUV, i.e. the Volvo EX90, I have to admit that I didn’t think there was a car on this tour that could go even higher.

Well, the Audi A6 has done it. And it succeeded primarily thanks to the excellent platform on which it’s built. In fact, its name raises your expectations right from the start: Premium Platform Electric. And yes, in terms of performance, the A6 is a premium product.

Just a few kilometers on board and you can see why. The suspension is sublime (well, the roads in Austria aren’t exactly to be sniffed at either), the performance is there all the time, and the technology simply spoils you. From the augmented reality head-up display that guides you perfectly on the road, to the impeccably tuned driver assistance systems, everything works in your favor.

Charging is so fast and steady that you barely pause long enough to stretch your legs before you’re notified that your limo is ready to hit the road again. And we’re talking about a 95-kWh battery pack. And the consumption isn’t bad either, given the size of the car and the resources at the disposal under your right foot.

But I would have liked a bit more color inside and a bit more attention to detail, given the 100,000+ euro price tag of the model we tested.

Cornel Șocariciu (Autocritica)

The German model follows a recipe that felt much closer to that of a grand tourer. Comfortable, angry if you’re asking for it by slamming on the accelerator and frugal when it comes to energy consumption. And that’s just the way it is. Because the Audi-style interior (with good finishes and quality materials) is now packed with state-of-the-art technology: from the augmented reality head-up display to the three screens that wrap around the dashboard, from the intelligent braking energy recovery system to the 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system.

I know it’s a cliché, but the A6 Sportback e-tron really is a technological showcase. And it’s the 800V platform and the large 95-kWh battery pack that make a major contribution.

A few lines above I mentioned efficiency. On the almost 550 km route (which included the two alpine passes) I found the average energy consumption to be excellent, on all scenarios: highway (with some stretches plagued by road works), B roads, mountain roads and even urban areas (but not so many).

All in all, the A6 Sportback e-tron is the EV that the German automaker needed to stir public interest. Especially the ones who loves piano black and can easily spare 100,000 euro.

Marco Badea (Explicativ.com)

I climbed behind the wheel of the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron and set off for the Swiss passes. After a couple of kilometers I had the feeling that I was not testing this car, but that I owned it and had been driving it for years. It’s so easy to drive, so intuitive and so agile on the road that it’s worth every penny.

It’s a powerful EV that won’t lie to you. What’s more, it looks good inside and out. It’s roomy, comfortable, has a very good sound system, the dashboard is friendly and neither visually nor technically intrusive, and the safety assistant can even help you avoid getting a ticket on Swiss roads for speeding two or three kilometers per hour over the speed limit.

The Audi A6 Sportback e-tron is, therefore, a long-distance car that you can drive across Europe without any problems. Why? Because it has a very good range. We had a range of about 600 km at an average consumption of about 16 kWh/100 km. And we also drove on the highway and on three Swiss mountain roads that look like they were painted in AI or straight out of heaven.

I would liken this car to a tango dancer, who knows her steps very well and when she gets moving, she keeps the rhythm of the dance, but also of the song, perfectly. It’s a pleasure to drive this car, you feel like you are its partner and you dance with it on the road together while others watch.

Mircea Mester (Autocritica)

Today, on the first rainy day of our electric tour of the Alps, we wanted to see if the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron is just an expensive suit or if it’s got some muscle underneath. We took it out for a 323-kilometer ride by putting it to a challenge of five Alpine passes in Switzerland and Italy: the Julier, the Ofenpass, the Tonale, the Gavia and, the centerpiece, the mighty Stelvio.

The plan was simple and a bit arrogant: to do this entire route without going near a charging outlet. Easy-peasy, even with those monstrous climbs at over 2500 meters altitude, in winter temperatures (2-4 degrees C) and a wind that tries to knock you down repeatedly. I relied on the efficiency of the 800V platform, developed with the cousins at Porsche, which I know extremely well from my Macan at home.

And I was right. I left Switzerland with 99% battery level and arrived in Italy, after ticking the Stelvio, Gavia and the rest of the alpine zigzag gang, with 44% energy left in the battery.

What does that mean in plain words? An exceptional 16.6 kWh/100 km consumption average. And a real range of 572 kilometers. And that’s without adapting our driving towards fuel efficiency and even adding in some bursts of enthusiastic driving.

But beyond the numbers, the A6 e-tron is a car that’s a bit of a heart tugger if you have the right money for it. It sits on the road with authority, is clean in its reactions and drives with an ease that makes you forget you’re driving a nearly five-meter saloon.

On the inside, it gives you perhaps the most premium feeling of our electric tour of the Alps. Materials, assembly, attention to detail – everything is superlative. The seats are fabulously comfortable, and the multimedia system, though it seems clunky at first, is actually ridiculously intuitive. The only conundrum remains the usefulness of the screen in front of the passenger. Vasilescu, the co-pilot on duty, switched it on, changed a song, grinned smugly, and then turned it off. About as useful as an umbrella in a submarine.

How the A6 e-tron looks is a matter of taste, but I love it. It’s a fully electric GT that knows how to be efficient, comfortable and agile. We didn’t get to test its ultra-fast 270 kW charging, because we simply didn’t need to. If I were to take it home, I’d like to see it in the Avant version, which probably carries your house and furniture on vacation, to make it easier to adapt to any conditions.

Constantin Ciobanu (Autocritica, Adevărul Auto)

I got behind the wheel to set off for the Italian passes, and it didn’t take me more than a couple of kilometers to realize that, for me, the A6 Sportback e-tron is the car that best suits my driving on this tour. In terms of chassis, suspension setup, steering feel – a round of applause. Even though the car emphasizes comfort, it doesn’t do so by isolating you from the driving experience. Very nice mix from the Germans.

The performance is there and at the level you would expect from a sedan costing over €100,000. And interestingly, the only detail that didn’t demand my attention, didn’t make me cringe, was the electrics in the sentence. 7.5 hours of pure driving, but only 325 km at the end of the day, which may give you an idea of the average speed, but which ended up with an average consumption of 18.1 kWh/100 km driven and a 38% battery energy level at the end of the day.

Although with a sedan in this segment and price range, I shouldn’t talk about the quality of materials, it seems I have to. Some of the materials are not up to the expected level and you find them in “everyday” areas where you interact with them on a daily basis. And that kind of first contact can be a bit of a brake for a prospective customer in wanting to find out how much better it is further down the road if they get behind the wheel.

Radu Gurămultă (Autocritica)

It couldn’t have been better for our crew than to end the EUROCHARGE at the wheel of the Audi A6 e-tron. That’s why I was glad, because we traveled at GT pace. In fact, dynamic Gran Turismo performance and executive car handling. An interesting combination.

Audi knows how to catch your eye behind the wheel. At times, the interior approach is overwhelming. That’s why I’m surprised at the less-than-substantial attention to materials placed in some areas that aren’t exactly hidden, such as the door panels. Here and there you can feel the “cost control”, and it’s not all that pleasant when you consider that Audi used to know how to craft impeccable interiors. But, we accept that these are the times for most true premium manufacturers.

You’ll notice a well put together chassis, which lays the car nicely on the road, in a combination of dynamism matured into comfort; the suspension-seats mix was a good omen for my back, because it’s not the greatest pleasure to spend more than 16 hours on the road.

With 462 hp on tap you can’t go wrong, although these days that’s not exactly a heart-stopping figure, and in good Audi spirit we’re talking about all-wheel drive, too. That contributes to the rugged, ready-for-anything feel.