- Audi’s best-selling mannequin within the U.S. within the third quarter was the electrical Q6 E-Tron.
- Boasting as much as 321 miles of electrical vary, glorious fast-charging and a brand new platform, the Q6 E-Tron is Audi’s greatest work but within the EV discipline.
- However can its momentum final amid tariffs and the lack of the EV tax credit score?
It’s a must to rise up fairly early within the morning to take down the Audi Q5. It has lengthy held Audi’s gross sales crown within the U.S. and past for good purpose—so far as gas-powered luxurious crossovers go, it is powerful to discover a higher one.
And but the Q5 was simply dethroned within the U.S. this previous quarter by its new all-electric sibling, the Audi Q6 e-tron. Audi yesterday reported that it bought 10,059 Q6 E-Trons within the U.S. from July by means of September. By a couple of hundred fashions, it edged out the fuel Q5, which bought 9,719 items. (I presume these numbers embody their extra sporting variants, the SQ6 E-Tron and SQ5.)
It is not each day that an electrical automobile can take a model’s prime gross sales place, not to mention defeat a perennial strong-seller just like the Q5. However this occurred for a couple of causes which can be value digging into.
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Supply: Patrick George
Before everything, there’s the plain reply: the EV tax credit score, which ended on Sept. 30. Whereas the German-made Q6 E-Tron didn’t qualify for any incentives at buy, like all EVs, it may see $7,500 off when leased. Including within the numerous reductions and incentives that Audi and its sellers may need thrown in, and it was in all probability an excellent worth.
There’s additionally the truth that the brand new, redesigned fuel Q5 simply went on sale this summer time, and should have taken time to hit vendor tons. That new-model changeover is probably going why Q5 gross sales had been down 34% year-over-year.
However then there’s the truth that the Q6 E-Tron is only a rattling good automotive. Actually, it and the SQ6 E-Tron are two of my favourite luxurious EVs I’ve examined this 12 months. Whereas they lack the placing designs of older Audis (the German model is engaged on that), their vary, fast-charging, software program expertise and efficiency are fairly first-rate—and worthy of any Audi fan who desires to maintain that vibe however may additionally break up with gasoline.
Within the U.S., the Q6 and SQ6 E-Tron fashions are powered by a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The bottom Q6 E-Tron begins at $63,800 earlier than vacation spot charges and provides as much as 321 miles of vary and 322 horsepower in single-motor rear-wheel-drive kind. Go for dual-motor all-wheel-drive and also you rise up to 456 hp and an estimated 307-mile vary.
The AWD-only SQ6 E-Tron will get as much as 510 hp, however vary is available in at 275 miles. The vehicles have a peak charging price of 270 kilowatts, so they need to go from 10% to 80% in about 20 minutes. And constructed on the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Electrical (PPE), they characterize a quantum leap over older Audi EV fashions just like the Q8 E-Tron.
Photograph by: Patrick George
As a fan of this EV, I am glad to see it do effectively. However now I am questioning what’s subsequent for it. The automotive is German-made, in any case, and will take a tariff hit. An Audi spokesperson instructed InsideEVs that 2026 model-year costs have been launched and there aren’t any plans to vary them, however the model is “monitoring the state of affairs.”
Then there’s the truth that the EV leasing credit score is gone. That might dampen gross sales for these fashions except Audi retains some incentives and reductions going. As of this writing, there is a nationwide $6,000 buyer bonus deal for leasing or buying a brand new Q6 E-Tron that is good by means of November, however we’ll see how lengthy it lasts.
Above all, I hope Audi SUV followers will give the Q6 E-Tron a shot. They’d in all probability like this factor quite a bit in the event that they did. We’ll know early subsequent 12 months whether or not that may maintain the momentum going or not.
Contact the writer: patrick.george@insideevs.com
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