FAW-Audi Q6L e-tron Chain Collision Crash Test Yields Unexpected Results?

The FAW-Audi Q6L e-tron successfully completed a crash test with triple the national standard impact, maintaining structural integrity and earning an “Excellent” safety rating.

Recently, the FAW-Audi Q6L e-tron successfully completed a high-difficulty “truck side-impact + fixed pole crush” chain collision test at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) crash laboratory in Tianjin.

Jointly organized by FAW-Audi, Audi FAW New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd., and CATARC, the test featured a dual challenge: one for overall vehicle safety and the other for battery safety. The scenario simulated a sudden emergency at a T-junction, where a child dummy unexpectedly crossed the road. In this situation, the Q6L e-tron’s Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system activated successfully, preventing a collision with the child dummy.

Immediately afterward, a 3-ton out-of-control truck crashed into the left side of the Q6L e-tron’s second-row area at 50 km/h. The impact pushed the vehicle’s right side into a rigid pole, simulating a streetlight, creating a complex chain collision scenario.

Compared to China’s national crash test standard—which involves a 0.95-ton moving barrier at 50 km/h—this test used a 3-ton truck, tripling the impact energy. Despite the intense, successive impacts, the Q6L e-tron’s body structure remained intact. No structural failure occurred in the A-, B-, C-, or D-pillars, providing adequate survival space for occupants. Passive safety systems, including side airbags, a central airbag, and head curtain airbags, all deployed properly. According to professional evaluations, all dummy injury metrics remained within excellent levels. The battery pack exhibited minimal deformation, with no signs of short-circuiting, fire, or electrolyte leakage.

Additionally, the high-voltage system was automatically cut off within milliseconds after impact, effectively preventing thermal runaway caused by short circuits. After the crash, windows automatically lowered to ensure cabin ventilation, and all doors remained operational, further facilitating emergency rescue. Laboratory staff confirmed that the Q6L e-tron successfully passed the crash test.

Following this, the “damaged” battery from the Q6L e-tron will undergo a second round of rigorous evaluation under the “TOP Electric Battery Safety Challenge.”

According to Audi, the Q6L e-tron’s body is engineered with a combination of high-strength steel and aluminum alloy. Its key structural zones are precisely calculated to maximize energy absorption during collisions. Additionally, Audi employs over 220 global safety experts who conduct more than 1,000 complex physical crash tests and 20,000 virtual accident simulations annually.

The Audi Q6L e-tron is the first domestically produced model based on Audi’s PPE platform. It features a full-domain 800V architecture, e-quattro all-wheel drive, supports up to 270 kW of charging power, and offers a maximum range of 765 km. It is also the first Audi production model to be equipped with Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving System, delivering map-free L2-level assisted driving capabilities.