Audi Q6 e-tron long-term test
Audi's latest electric SUV promises new tech and ultra-rapid charging, but what's it like to live with? We're finding out...
The car Audi Q6 e-tron Sport Performance Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor
Why it’s here It’s the first model based on Audi’s newest platform, so we’re seeing what lies ahead for its next-gen EVs
Needs to provide a sumptuous and tech-laden appeal in line with its price, and slot straight in to family life
Miles covered 4745 Price £64,240 Target price £62,995 Price as tested £68,470 Official range 389 miles Test range 303 miles
23 April 2025 – Computer says no
Anyone who’s used a Windows PC will be familiar with the ‘blue screen of death’, while this is substituted for the ‘spinning wheel of death’ if you have an Apple Mac. But whichever you've experienced, you'll understand the frustration I’ve recently had with my Audi Q6 e-tron – if I had hair, I’d be pulling it out.
You see, last weekend, the Milne family jumped in our electric SUV for a day out. I pressed the start button and… nothing.
Nothing that is, except for a cycle of error messages: Charging system fault; Charging not possible; High-voltage electrical system fault; Four-wheel drive fault: limited performance; Please contact workshop.
I could only select neutral, presumably so the car could be hauled onto a low-loader. Yet the following day, the Q6 sparked into life like nothing had happened. Clearly a software gremlin had reared its head for a few hours.
Sadly, it’s not the only problem I’ve encountered. The previous week, the remote central locking and keyless entry stopped working. One minute all was fine, the next, nothing.
Tugging on the handles, key in hand did nothing, and nor did using the physical key in the hidden keyhole. It’s made me more grateful than ever for the MyAudi app, which is the only way I’ve been able to lock and unlock the car.
Because the key isn’t working as expected, neither does the keyless start. True, Audi has prepared for such an eventuality: placing the key in a precise location in the cupholder means its presence is felt so the car can start. However, on most journeys there’s a shrill beep every 30 seconds warning me the key isn’t present… even though it is.
As you read this, it’ll be wired up to Audi’s diagnostic systems to understand just what’s going on.
Despite that, there are some highlights since my last report. As the weather is improving, so is my efficiency; I’m now regularly seeing 3.2miles per kilowatt-hour, which means the Q6 has broken the 300-mile range barrier for the first time. That’s with the mercury rising to 18-20degC – so the green shoots of spring are sprouting in more ways than one.
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