Audi cancels the electric A2 and possibly also the A1 e-tron

Surprisingly, Audi has scrapped its plans to bring out an electric A2 and possibly the A1 e-tron, the brand’s range-extender model. It seems that, after sharpening its pencil and running the numbers, the sales prospects and the resulting high price of both models do not justify the investment or the development effort Audi would need to put them on the streets.

According to estimates, the electric A2 would have to sell for roughly 40,000 euros. With the crisis that has swooped down like a bird of prey over the European continent, where this A2 would have its main market, it does not seem to be a competitive price for this small electric car, according to Audi executives.

According to Car magazine, the decision was also driven by the poor sales of the Mitsubishi iMiev and the Nissan Leaf, two of the rivals the A2 had in its sights. If we consider the landscape of the urban electric car, BMW would take a large share of the market, provided the BMW i3 actually sees the light of day.

For the Audi A1 e-tron, the situation is practically the same. For the same economic reasons, the small alternative A1 would never reach the production line (something that had been in the works for some time), and the Wankel rotary engine technology serving as a generator is not easy to develop, not even for a brand like Audi.

Source | Car Magazine

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