The A1 e-tron, which Audi is showing at the Geneva Motor Show, is an innovative Mega City Vehicle (MCV with an electric drive system.
The A1 e-tron has a range of more than 50 kilometres in city traffic and has a peak output of 76kW. A compact internal combustion engine recharges the battery when its energy is depleted. This is similar technology to that found in Chev’s Volt or the almost identical Opel Ampera.
The car sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in 10.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of more than 130km/h. The compact MCV is a zero-emissions vehicle for the first 50 kilometres that it is underway, such as in city traffic. The battery comprises a package of lithium-ion modules mounted in the floor assembly in front of the rear axle.
A small, single-rotor Wankel/rotary engine is used in this near-series concept vehicle to increase the range in exceptional circumstances. This “range extender” powers a generator that produces 15 kW of charging power. If the range extender is used to recharge the battery, the A1 e-tron can cover an additional 200 kilometres of range. According to a draft standard for the computation of fuel consumption for range extender vehicles, this represents a fuel consumption of 1.6 litres per 100 kilometers – a CO2 equivalent of only 45 g/km.
