Audi pulls plug on electric A2 02 | 01 | 2013

AUDI IS UNDERSTOOD to have shelved plans to build a production version of its electric Audi A2 concept unveiled in 2011. In doing so, it becomes one of the first major global manufacturers to step away from electric vehicles.

The new model, which was inspired by the original aluminium spaceframe A2, had been scheduled to enter production in 2015 as both a conventional plug-in hybrid and as a pure EV.

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Had the production gone ahead, the electric A2 would have been a direct rival to BMW's forthcoming BMW i3.

The A2 concept used a lithium-ion battery pack which was housed in its ‘sandwich floor’ construction, similar in turn to the original Mercedes A-class.

The Audi's front wheels were driven by a 114bhp electric motor and promised a 125-mile range from the battery pack after a four-hour recharge.

Audi says “lessons learned from the new A2 project” will now be included in future Audi models.

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Jim McGill