Audi A2 Concept Car - Audi On A Charge

The Audi A2 is back. In concept form, at least. The old production hatchback used aluminum panels on a spaceframe, much like the bigger A8 sedan. It was tall and thin, and the diesel version had seriously low consumption figures. This all-electric resurrection of the A2 name is similarly compact and light—about 12.5 feet long, 5 feet tall and 5.5 feet wide, plus a curb weight of 2,500 pounds thanks to cutting-edge materials—but it packs a heck of a lot of technology along with its four occupants. The steering and braking is all done by wire, the glass roof can go dark at the push of a button, and there’s Internet connectivity with Google Street View and the like. An array of lithium-ion batteries are sandwiched into the floor and they power a front-mounted, electric motor that sends 116 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. The sprint to 60 mph is a so-so 9.3 seconds, but top speed is a relatively good (though theoretical) 93 mph. Range is supposedly 94 miles and Audi says a 240-volt charger could replenish the power cells in just four hours. This A2, one of the stars at Audi’s multi-million-dollar Frankfurt 2011 show stand, is also set up for contact-less charging technology.