Audi The reborn Audi A2 already looked like a seriously cool little car from a styling and packaging perspective alone, but we're now getting a better look at how it'll work as an actual, usable electric vehicle. And, if Audi is to be believed, it's going to be quite solid because it's officially the most efficient car the German automaker has ever produced. Audi says the new A2 E-Tron, fitted with an optional Efficiency Package and a single 188 horsepower motor, which is set to be revealed this fall, set a preliminary WLTP efficiency measurement of 4.85 miles per kilowatt-hour, or — as Audi puts it in a less freedom-minded way — 12.8 kWh/100km. It is worth keeping in mind that this stellar efficiency number is partially to do with the fact that Europe's WLTP cycle is a lot more forgiving than the EPA's testing cycle, but no matter how you slice it, 4.85 mi/kWh is damn impressive. With the help of a 58 kWh usable (61 kWh gross) battery, that sort of efficiency should — theoretically — give the A2 E-Tron over 280 miles of range, which is impressive for something with this small a footprint. The aforementioned Efficiency Package does quite a bit when it comes to optimizing the A2's aerodynamics — bringing its drag coefficient to a scant 0.24. Another part of the picture is the active air intake in the front, which is closed for the most part, only opening during charging, hard acceleration and when it's very hot out. Efficient from the get-go Audi It seems that every single part of the A2 E-Tron has been designed with the idea of efficiency in mind. Audi fine-tuned the battery's thermal management system, adopted silicon carbide semiconductors to help power the electronics, and even went so far as to use a new low-friction oil in the transmission, all in the race for better efficiency. Hell, engineers even employed thinner laminations in the electric motor to achieve what they wanted. From a pure body design perspective, Audi says it follows "the principles of streamlined design," meaning it's rounded at the front, has a flowing roofline and a sharply defined rear end (just like me). It's a design characteristic that reduces drag compared with conventional fastback models, according to the company. When it goes on sale, the A2 Etron will have four different power outputs to start: 168 hp, 188 hp, 228 hp and 322 hp, Electrek reports. It'll also be offered with three battery pack levels: 50 kWh, 58 kWh and 79 kWh. The 79 kWh battery is expected to deliver over 400 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. While we love the new A2 E-Tron and its throwback styling that reminds us of the A2 of the early 2000s, it's still not totally clear if we'll be getting it here in the U.S. At the very least, it'll be unveiled sometime this fall, and when it does go on sale, prices will start around $44,000 in Germany, according to Electrek. That'll make it Audi's cheapest EV to date.
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