Audi A6 e-tron: from concept car to series production

"In the Audi A6 e-tron, there is total dedication down to the smallest detail; each line tells a different story," says Wolf Seebers. Seebers and his colleague Sascha Heyde wrote the first chapter of this vehicle's story around three years ago. In 2021, Audi debuted the Audi A6 e-tron concept, followed just under a year later by the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept. The two exterior designers from Audi present their vision for the electric upper mid-size segment: two evocative concepts that look strikingly similar to the new production models.

“The study is reminiscent of the history of the Audi TT,” says Seebers. "When Audi presented the concept at the IAA in Frankfurt in 1995, nobody would have believed that the car would be on the road like this three years later. Although some details were adapted for the production version due to safety-related guidelines, these were not visible on the exterior. In my opinion, we have achieved something similar with the Audi A6 e-tron.”

The two designers also spend time together outside the factory premises. Heyde and Seebers have been friends for 20 years and even live next door to one another in Ingolstadt, Germany – garage adjoins garage. "Sascha mainly took on the creative part; I was the link to our engineers," says Seebers, who emphasizes the importance of teamwork. "The last few percent, which makes all the difference in the end, can only be achieved through real passion."

One day, in the middle of the development phase, Seebers’ phone rang. He gets goosebumps when he remembers the moment, just like back then. "A colleague from the aerodynamics team was cheering on the other end of the line and was euphoric: ‘0.21! We've done it!’ Together, we achieved the best Cd value that a production car at Audi has ever had.” The lower the Cd value, the less aerodynamic drag a body offers – and this was a decisive factor in the Audi A6 e-tron.

Seebers continues: "It was clear from the outset that the electric range and, therefore, the aerodynamics would play an incredibly important role in this vehicle.” The aerodynamics team collaborated with the designers to tweak, test, and adapt. "In the end, it was a harmony of form and function," adds Seebers, "just as good design should be: functional."

For concept vehicles, such values initially play a rather secondary role. "At the beginning, we define whether a concept vehicle should be a precursor of upcoming series models or whether it should anticipate far into the future," explains Heyde. However, even with a near-series concept, his team can largely disregard the technical requirements and prioritize the proportions. "Because they are the most important thing for good design."

The distinctive insert is visible on both the Audi Q6 e-tron and the new Audi e-tron GT. "We deliberately emphasize where the heart of our models beats," says Heyde, who becomes even more animated when discussing the front of the Audi A6 e-tron. "It is super close to the study; the face looks high-tech and futuristic. We accomplished this with the inverted Singleframe and the highly accentuated daytime running lights." If you look the Audi A6 e-tron in the face, it looks straight at you with its two eyes. "This is due to the most progressive and slimmest lights we have ever designed at Audi." Seebers gazes at the vehicle, pauses briefly, and adds: "Very progressive, very new – and yet typically Audi."