1.338 km with a full charge: Audi A6 e-tron sets world record
Rallye Europe champion Miko Marczyk drove 1,338 kilometers using only one charge with an Audi A6 Sportback e-tron performance. The energy consumption was 7.09 kWh per 100 kilometers, and the journey lasted over 45 hours.
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The Polish rally driver Mikołaj “Miko” Marczyk covered 1,338 kilometers with a single battery charge using an Audi A6 Sportback e-tron performance. This drive earned him a place in Guinness World Records for the longest distance traveled on a single charge in a production electric vehicle. According to Audi, the average energy consumption was 7.09 kWh per 100 kilometers at the end of the trip.
The Route: Along the Vistula to the Baltic Sea and back
The record journey began on September 11 at 1:55 a.m. Marczyk drove along the Vistula River across Poland, passing through Kraków, Sandomierz, Warsaw, Toruń, and Grudziądz to reach Hel on the Baltic Sea coast. He then returned along the same route. The trip ended after more than 45 hours between Toruń and Ciechocinek.
According to Audi, the vehicle was on regular roads, with many sections falling during peak traffic hours. The average temperature was 15 degrees Celsius, while seven degrees were recorded in Grudziądz during the early morning hours.
To assess the result, looking at the driving time helps: 1,338 kilometers covered in over 45 hours results in a calculated average speed of less than 30 km/h. Although breaks are included in this time, the figure still shows that the journey was deliberately designed for low fuel consumption and has little in common with typical road or highway trips.
Powertrain and Battery
The A6 Sportback e-tron performance variant was used for the record attempt. It delivers 270 kW (367 horsepower) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. This model is the second vehicle on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) after the Porsche Macan Electric, and it uses an 800-volt architecture.
The battery has a gross capacity of 100 kWh, with 94.9 kWh available net. When this value is compared to the distance traveled, it results in the consumption rate cited by Audi of around 7.1 kWh per 100 kilometers.
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Range: Standard value and record value
According to WLTP, Audi claims a range of up to 777 kilometers for the A6 Sportback e-tron performance. The combined standard consumption ranges from 14.0 to 15.9 kWh per 100 kilometers. Thus, the record drive exceeded the WLTP range by nearly 70 percent, while the consumption was about half of the standard value.
Regeneration and aerodynamics
Audi cites two main factors as the technical basis for its low fuel consumption. First is regenerative braking: In everyday use, around 95 percent of all braking actions are said to be covered solely by energy recovery, with the regenerative braking capacity reaching up to 220 kW.
The other factor is aerodynamics: According to the manufacturer, roughly 40 percent of fuel consumption in the WLTP cycle is due to air resistance, especially at higher speeds. The A6 Sportback e-tron has a cW value of 0.21, making it Audi’s most aerodynamically efficient model to date. However, given the low average speeds during the record drive, rolling resistance likely played a bigger role than air resistance.
The record driver’s tips for saving fuel
Marczyk identifies four principles that he believes are crucial for efficient electric driving:
Getting to know one’s own vehicle thoroughly, including its driving modes, assist systems, and performance under various conditions.
Utilizing regenerative braking as consistently as possible to recover energy during deceleration.
Regularly checking tire pressure, as the correct pressure reduces rolling resistance.
Driving predictably and smoothly while avoiding unnecessary acceleration and sudden braking.
These suggestions are not new, but they apply to all electric vehicles. Marczyk himself describes the result of 1,338 kilometers as a positive surprise even for him.
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