Audi’s A2 was one of the more audacious offerings from a brand already known for its high-tech cars. The subcompact A2 traded on its light weight and aerodynamic efficiency. Unfortunately, high pricing and quirky styling didn’t help if find an audience.
Now Audi is reviving the A2 as an electric concept vehicle for the Frankfurt Motor Show. Following its predecessor, the A2 features “exceptionally weight-conscious and space-efficient packaging…achieved using state-of-the-art multi-material hybrid construction…And its space-age specification includes contact-free battery charging, ‘by-wire’ steering and braking, LED matrix lighting technology and a semi-autonomous running mode.” The A2 clocks in at 1150 kg, using aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. Even the alloy wheels were pared down by 2kg each.
The A2’s electric drive uses lithium-ion batteries within its sandwich floor. Its front-mounted motor provides 115 bhp of peak power and 270 Nm of torque to the front wheels. Acceleration is decent at 9.3 seconds, with a 148 km/h top speed.
The Audi A2 concept is a purely electric vehicle. A lithium-ion battery mounted in its sandwich floor stores 31 kWh of energy, 24 kWh of which is usable. The electric motor is transversely mounted in the front, and delivers 116PS of peak power (80PS continuous) and 270 Nm of torque (160 Nm continuous) to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Charging time is 1.5 hours with a custom 400 volt outlet, and 4 hours with a 230-volt household current.
More delicious bits of tech: The A2 features touchpads to control all the car’s operating functions in a “semi-autonomous” cruise mode used in slow-moving traffic. Its headlamps are constructed from a bunch of LEDs focused by microreflectors. LEDs are also used in the taillights. The rear fog light is laser-powered. It is invisible when visibility is good, but reflects off rain and fog, becoming visible as a floating triangle. The roof can be darkened electrically, a la Mercedes SLK. The interior also features numerous bands of interior lighting, just the thing to make you feel like you’ve entered The Grid.
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