Photos of the Audi A2 e-tron leaked just before its launch. Now we’re waiting for the price list.

In short:

Audi is preparing for the global debut of the A2 e-tron

Photos of the production version without masking have just leaked

It is set to be the cheapest electric car from the German brand

And also the most efficient, with an energy consumption of 12.8 kWh/100 km

Audi in full glory

The Audi A2 e-tron was supposed to be officially unveiled on September 7. And technically it still is — Audi’s calendar lists that date as the global premiere. However, the car’s appearance stopped being a secret a bit earlier. Photos showing the A2 e-tron without the distinctive covering used by Audi to display prototypes previously made it online.

At the time of writing this text, the full material from the official launch has not yet been published, so it is necessary to separate two sets of information: details previously confirmed by Audi and the specifics of the lineup revealed in the pre-launch leak.

A2 returns after over 20 years

The name is not arbitrary. Audi officially confirmed back in March that its new entry-level electric vehicle would be called the A2 e-tron. The car is being developed in Ingolstadt and is intended to serve as the brand’s electric model below the Q4 e-tron.

The original A2 was produced from 2000 to 2005 and, even a quarter of a century later, remains one of Audi’s most unconventional models. It featured an aluminum frame, an unusual monocoque body, and was designed primarily with low weight and fuel efficiency in mind.

The most extreme version of the 1.2 TDI weighed just 855 kg and officially consumed 2.99 liters of fuel per 100 km. Its drag coefficient was 0.25. Audi sold a total of 176,377 A2 units before ending production in 2005.

The new car doesn’t attempt to replicate the previous model exactly, but it carries forward its core idea: it’s designed to be efficient first, with an original appearance as a bonus.

12.8 kWh per 100 km.

Audi already released some of the technical details officially in August. At that time, the manufacturer focused on the 190 HP version equipped with an optional efficiency package.

Its initially homologated energy consumption is 12.8 kWh/100 km WLTP. Audi describes the A2 e-tron as the most efficient electric car in its entire history.

The drag coefficient is 0.24. This is aided by a nearly flat chassis, air channels that guide air around the wheels, and an active front air intake. The latter remains closed most of the time and only opens when the battery and powertrain require additional cooling. According to Audi, just the aerodynamic changes alone can reduce consumption by up to 0.9 kWh/100 km.

In addition, there’s a redesigned electric motor with silicon carbide semiconductors and a modified transmission. Audi claims the entire powertrain can operate up to 10% more efficiently.

The 61 kWh LFP battery has already been confirmed

It is also officially known that the 190 KM version uses an LFP battery with a gross capacity of 61 kWh and an approximate usable capacity of 58 kWh. A cell-to-pack design is employed, meaning there are no traditional intermediate modules. The cells are directly integrated into the pack, allowing for better utilization of the available space.

Audi also highlights the possibility of regularly charging the LFP battery to 100%. The vehicle additionally supports two-way energy flow – the V2L function allows charging external devices, while V2H will enable using the car as an energy storage unit for the home. This latter function will be available initially in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Leak Reveals a Much Wider Range

Further details need to be treated with caution, as they come from information circulating before the official launch of the full range. According to the leak, the A2 e-tron will be available in four power versions: 170, 190, 231, and 326 horsepower.

There will also be three battery capacities: 50, 58, and 79 kWh. The smallest package is expected for the base 170 horsepower version, while the largest would enable a range exceeding 600 km.

Similar information has appeared earlier in German pre-launch publications, but not all variants have yet been officially described by Audi. Therefore, details regarding the 50 and 79 kWh battery options as well as the most powerful 326 HP version should be considered pre-launch for now.

Technically close to Volkswagen

The car utilizes solutions developed by the Volkswagen Group for compact electric vehicles. In pre-launch materials and reports, it is linked to the advanced MEB architecture as well as technologies known from the new Volkswagen ID.3.

This allows Audi to reduce development costs for the smallest electric car without having to create a separate platform for it. At the same time, the brand is developing its own solutions related to aerodynamics, drive control, and vehicle positioning.

We know the appearance from leaks; the rest will be revealed officially

The images that appeared before the launch show a car with a high, highly aerodynamic body. References to the original A2 are evident mainly in the proportions, the high-mounted roof line, and the design of the rear body section.

However, this is not a retrodesign. The front features the styling of current Audi electric cars, with a closed grille and separate lighting elements, and its silhouette is more dynamic than that of the heavily boxy predecessor.

We are waiting for official details—especially the critically important figures: the exact range for all versions and the prices.

Piotr Sobczyk