The Audi A1 e-tron

Audi is expanding its new e-tron model family step by step. The Audi A1 e-tron, which Audi is showing at the Geneva Motor Show, is an innovative Mega City Vehicle (MCV). Like its sports car brothers, it has an electric drive system. The Audi A1 e-tron has a range of more than 31 miles in city traffic, and its peak output of 102PS also makes it fun to drive. A compact internal combustion engine recharges the battery when its energy is depleted.

The new e-tron model series from Audi will gain another new member at the Geneva Motor Show: The Audi A1 e-tron is a Mega City Vehicle (MCV) with an innovative drive technology. It comes equipped with a powerful electric motor for zero-emission driving in the city. There is also an internal combustion engine on board that recharges the battery in exceptional circumstances. The Audi A1 e-tron is very agile thanks to the 102PS peak power of its electric motor.

The e-tron model family from Audi is just a few months old, but it already has a number of members, for each of which Audi has chosen a different drive technology. The first e-tron, which debuted at the 2009 IAA in Frankfurt/Main, is a near-series high-performance sports car with electric motors for all four wheels. The study shown at the Detroit Motor Show in 2010 is a lightweight, compact two-seater with two electric motors on the rear axle.

The Audi A1 e-tron now presents another approach - a compact electric car in the premium class. The four-passenger, two-door MCV city car was designed specifically for use in the metropolitan areas of Europe and North America and in the rapidly growing megacities of Asia and South America. The Audi A1 e-tron always drives on electric power; its internal combustion engine is only used to recharge the battery in isolated cases.

The synchronous electric motor of the Audi A1 e-tron is mounted transversely at the front of the car. Its low mounting position has a positive effect on the vehicle's centre of gravity. Continuous output is rated at 61PS, with peak power of 102PS available in short bursts. 150 Nm (110.63 lb-ft) of torque is continuously available, and peak torque is 240 Nm (177.01 lb-ft).

The Audi A1 e-tron can drive 31 miles emission-free in city traffic on the powerful battery. On longer trips, the battery is recharged by a particularly compact internal combustion engine mounted below the luggage compartment.

The Audi A1 e-tron concept car has a Wankel engine as a range extender, but other compact concepts are also possible. The small single-rotor Wankel has a chamber volume of 254 cc and runs at a constant 5,000 rpm in its peak efficiency window. The electronics also consider navigation data such as the destination and route profile to automatically activate the range extender as needed. The driver can also turn the range extender on and off as necessary with the push of a button. The fuel tank holds 12 litres.

The Audi A1 e-tron can also cover longer distances if the range extender charges the battery. The extra range, which is intended primarily for interurban driving, is 124 miles.

According to the draft standard, the two different operating modes yield a fuel economy figure of 148.7mpg, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 45& g/km. In electric mode, there are zero local CO2 emissions - the compact Audi A1 e-tron is thus ecological and economical.