Audi has a number of new electric vehicles in development, including the A6 E-Tron. It turns out that the German brand has no plans to drop the E-Tron name for its future EV products compared to what Mercedes-Benz intends to do with the EQ moniker.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Mercedes would soon be ditching the EQ branding for future hybrid and all-electric vehicles. There’s a very simple reason for this decision – the automaker no longer needs a separate sub-brand for its BEVs after it stopped producing combustion-powered cars. Audi, however, sees no need to drop the E-Tron branding for its electric vehicles.
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“No, no, no,” Audi design boss Marc Lichte told media representatives during an Activesphere concept preview when asked about the possible loss of the E-Tron name. “According to me [E-Tron is] very clear distinction, and… there will be one more difference. But it’s too early to talk about that.”
Yes, it looks like Lichte has also hinted at a potential new badge that could be used on future Audis. But what is it – is it the name for the combustion model? Or hybrid? How about hydrogen? Well, we’ll probably know more towards the end of the year when “you’ll see even more details that differentiate combustion engines and EVs,” according to Lichte.
Audi’s latest E-Tron branded electric vehicle is the Q8 E-Tron which is also the brand’s flagship electric SUV. It’s essentially a revamped version of the E-Tron SUV, which is Audi’s first electric vehicle to sport the moniker. The most powerful version is the SQ8 E-Tron with a peak output of 496 horsepower (370 kilowatts) and 718 pound-feet (973 Newton-meters).
Currently, Audi is working on the Q6 E-Tron as a more affordable and smaller alternative to the Q8 E-Tron. The A6 E-Tron is also nearing the final stages of its development and we hope to see it in final form and production later this year. The same timetable is also expected for the Q6 E-Tron and both vehicles should hit the market as 2024 models.
