In a move that suggests Audi is looking to create a new tag for its zero-emission electric vehicles, the German firm unveiled the third member of the 'e-tron' concept family after the Frankfurt Show high-performance AWD supercar and the Detroit Show compact RWD two-seater concept.
This time, the 'e-tron' treatment was applied on Audi's spanking-new A1 premium supermini that uses a front-mounted electric motor producing 102HP and 240Nm to drive the wheels with a 254cc single-rotor Wankel engine that runs at 5,000 rpm, kicking in to charge the lithium-ion batteries when they are depleted.
In addition, the electric motor powering the A1 e-tron can convert braking energy into electric current and feed it back into the electrical system.
Power is transferred to the front wheels through a single-gear transmission.
According to Audi, the A1 e-tron weighs only 1,190 kilograms (2,623.50 lb), can hit 100 km/h (62mph) in 10.2 seconds and has a top speed in excess of 130 km/h or 81mph.
With the help of the Wankel petrol engine, the A1 e-tron can cover a distance of around 200km or 125 miles. In this case, Audi says that the A1 e-tron yields a combined fuel consumption of only 1.9 lt/100 km (123.8 US mpg), which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 45g/km.
In pure electric mode, there are zero CO2 emissions.
