Audi Q6 e-tron quattro: A Fine-Riding EV Saddled With Hefty Road Tax Bill

Electric vehicles (EVs), especially if they are all-wheel drive and dual motor, are great fun. But the high road tax they attract can dent their appeal.

- Lee Nian Tjoe

Few models have it as bad as the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro. This sleek and luxurious sport utility vehicle (SUV) costs the owner $6,058 in annual road tax.

This is the equivalent of the road tax for a 5.4-litre internal combustion engine (ICE) supercar, even though the EV is not intended as an ultra-high-performance model.

Power rating determines the road tax for EVs. For some dual-motor models, it has been observed that the figure recognised by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) can be quite a bit higher than the manufacturer's claim.

To the LTA, the dual-motor Q6 has 420kW, being the summation of the peak power outputs of the 140kW motor on the front axle and the 280kW on the rear axle. This is how you end up with the $6,058 annual road tax amount. In contrast, Audi says its EV has a system output of 289kW.

Other dual motors to suffer this fate include EV models from BMW and Volkswagen.

Putting aside the financial pain of the hefty bill, the Q6 is quite a handsome fella, especially in the brooding shade of grey on the test car that accentuates its chunky lines. The colour also does a great job of disguising the layer of dust caking the car when it is handed over for the test drive.

In the edition 1 trim, the lighting pattern of the headlights and tail-lamp clusters can be configured from the cabin.

The Q6 is part of the latest Audi design overhaul, which includes the A5 saloon that was launched in Singapore recently.

In terms of positioning, the Q6 is essentially the electric equivalent of the familiar Audi Q5, being roughly the same size. However, the two cars do not share any components nor do they look alike.