Audi points to Q6 e-tron with electric quattro SUV

THIS is the fully electric SUV that Audi hopes will run four rings around the Tesla Model X – if released in a production version.

It’s called the e-tron quattro concept, and if the German brand is to be believed, it can travel over 500km on a single charge.

That would mean it had the largest range of any electric SUV to date, with Tesla’s imminent Model X expected to manage around 390km before it runs out of juice.

Importantly, though, it’s no pie in the sky concept either. What you’re looking at is the best hint yet at Audi’s upcoming Q6 e-tron, tipped to hit our roads in 2018.

“It combines driving pleasure with great range, an expressive design and excellent comfort.”

A new-generation intelligent drive management system governs how the electric motors work with each other to achieve maximum performance and efficiency, while a Torque Control Manager supersedes a conventional differential to shuffle all that grunt to all four wheels.

As you’d expect, regenerative braking is used to recapture lost energy. But there’s also 1.98 metres of solar panelling on the roof, which can help charge the on-board batteries.