Screen real estate aside, the rest of the cockpit features a door-to-door soft-wrap design, where plush fabrics, gloss black surfaces and soothing ambient lighting make for a cosy, enveloping and positively luxurious feel. And because we’ve been treated to a top-spec Performance First Edition version of the A6 Avant e-tron, we’ve also got use of a 20-speaker (yes, 20) Bang & Olufsen sound system, complete with integrated headrest speakers for a truly 3D listening experience.
But it’s not just the tech, quality and quietness that’s helping us munch the miles. As standard, the A6 Avant e-tron comes with a wealth of advanced driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, attention detection and much, much more. The upshot is that as we approach the Lake District, I feel as though the car has done most of the heavy lifting so far.
A scenic (and rapid) top-up
Now, you’ll notice I haven’t mentioned range yet – and that’s intentional. You see, not only does the A6 Avant e-tron pioneer in-car tech and aerodynamics, it’s also Audi’s most efficient electric car yet. Depending on which version you go for, it’ll do up to 437 miles (WLTP) on one charge. When you’ve got that sort of mileage to play with, you really don’t have to think of this as an electric car.
That figure’s achieved through a mixture of clever weight-saving in the form of slimmer, more energy-dense batteries and electric motors, as well as the exceptionally low drag coefficient and a huge 100kWh battery. And all that means that even on an epic journey like this, we theoretically only have to charge once. However, if our photographer’s coffee addiction has anything to do with it, we’ll stop for another quick splash and dash somewhere north of the Scottish border.
So, as midday approaches and with the stunning hills of the Cumbrian countryside flying past in flashes of green and brown, we peel into Tebay Services for a spot of lunch and a quick charging blast. For those who haven’t been to Tebay, it’s not your usual fast food, newsagent and smartphone repair shop ordeal. Think quaint farm shop tucked beside a roaring motorway and surrounded by rolling fields.