Audi A2 e-tron is its most efficient model ever, with 12.8 kWh/100 km

Audi has announced that its upcoming A2 e-tron, an all-electric compact entry-level model, is the most efficient Audi of all time. Based on preliminary WLTP measurements, the 140-kW version with the optional efficiency package consumes just 12.8 kWh per 100 km. Audi attributes the result to advanced drive technology, sophisticated aerodynamics, and a battery tailored for everyday use. The car will make its debut in fall 2026.

Aerodynamics play a central role: at speeds of around 100 km/h and above, drag accounts for more than 50 percent of a vehicle's total energy demand. With a drag coefficient of 0.24, the A2 e-tron 140 kW with the efficiency package has the best figure among Audi's compact models. The body features a rounded front end, a flowing roofline, and a sharply defined rear, plus air curtains, gap reducers, and gap breathers around the wheel arches. An active cool-air intake stays closed during normal driving and at higher speeds, opening only during charging, rapid acceleration, or summer heat. Together, these measures cut WLTP consumption by up to 0.9 kWh/100 km compared with an identical vehicle without them.

The drive system is up to 10 percent more efficient thanks to several upgrades. Power electronics now use silicon carbide semiconductors instead of silicon, reducing switching losses; variable switching frequency cuts losses by up to 20 watts and alternative modulation techniques cut them by up to 33 percent. The electric motor uses thinner laminations (0.2 vs 0.3 mm) and a delta instead of star stator winding. A new low-friction oil and a tall 10.2:1 gear ratio reduce friction and lower motor speed at higher road speeds.

The A2 e-tron 140 kW uses a 61-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery in a cell-to-pack design, with cells bonded directly into the housing. Audi says LFP avoids rare earth elements, ages more slowly, and is considered particularly safe, so it can be routinely charged to 100 percent. An adapted cooling strategy raises wallbox charging efficiency to 89.6 percent, and an algorithm tuned to the LFP battery tracks state of charge and state of health. The car supports bidirectional charging: Vehicle-to-Load powers external devices, while Vehicle-to-Home turns the car into a home energy storage system and will initially be available in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.