Audi commemorated the twenty fifth anniversary of its cult-classic A2 hatchback by changing one into an EV.
The Audi A2 E-Tron is a one-off undertaking undertaken by apprentices. It is not the primary such undertaking; Audi apprentices beforehand transformed an NSU Prinz 4 from one of many automaker’s predecessor manufacturers right into a speedy EV idea to mark 150 years of producing on the web site of Audi’s Neckarsulm, Germany plant.
Audi A2 E-Tron idea
The hatchback is powered by a single electrical motor from an Audi Q8 E-Tron, tuned for 197 hp and 261 pound-feet of torque. A 25.9-kwh battery pack from an Audi Q7 plug-in hybrid (a mannequin not bought within the U.S.) was put in beneath the cargo flooring and offers an estimated 129 miles of vary (doubtless based mostly on the European WLTP testing cycle). Audi claims there’s room for a second pack, which might increase vary to an estimated 248 miles.
The A2 additionally obtained exterior modifications like clean wheels, deleted door handles, and illuminated entrance and rear badges just like the Audi Q6 E-Tron and A6 E-Tron. These two new EVs share the Premium Platform Electrical (PPE) that is key to Audi’s technique to focus totally on upmarket fashions—the other way of automobiles just like the A2.
Getting into manufacturing in November 1999, the Audi A2 was a forward-thinking subcompact that emphasised effectivity with aluminum bodywork, frugal gasoline and diesel engines, and a particular form that lent a low drag coefficient of between 0.25 and 0.29.
Audi A2 E-Tron idea
Nonetheless, low gasoline costs across the flip of the century meant the A2 wasn’t as fashionable when new because it could be in the present day. By no means bought within the U.S., it was additionally costlier than typical small vehicles in Europe. So whereas the A2 maintains a loyal fanbase in the present day, it bought poorly when new and was not changed after manufacturing led to 2005. The less-radical A1 turned Audi’s entry-level mannequin in Europe.
Audi was growing a smaller, absolutely electrical A2 metropolis automotive a decade in the past, nevertheless it canned the undertaking. The Audi This fall E-Tron stays the automaker’s smallest EV for the U.S., sharing the Volkswagen Group MEB platform with the VW ID.4 and ID.Buzz, amongst different fashions.
