Currently reading: Audi to launch electric car
Audi will introduce an electric car based on the VW Up!

Audi has confirmed plans to launch a small electric city car, likely to be based on the VW Up! concept.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, who sits on the management board at Ingolstadt, told Autocar “We will offer a pure electric car” at last week’s Paris motor show.

Schwarzenbauer was responding to rumours that Mini is planning an electric version of the Cooper for the LA motor show in November.

He went on to reveal that the small electric Audi “will not be based on the A1”, the firm’s premium supermini, which was previewed by a concept car in Paris.

Instead the electric Audi is likely to be based on the VW Up – which will be badged the Lupo when it goes into production.

The Lupo’s platform is going to be shared across the VW Group brands. It should be versatile enough for a battery pack and converter to be mounted in the rear.

 

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crazyal 7 October 2008

Re: Audi to launch electric car

TUK wrote:
Audi should just dust off the A2

exactly, now what do you think Audi are going to call their version of the Up!

They can't use the A1 badge because they're already using it for a premium' supermini' (what other cars is it targeting anyway?) and the A2 badge has been gathering dust since it was dropped from prodution, so it would make sense to reuse a badge

W124 7 October 2008

Re: Audi to launch electric car

Good point that. If the price of a barrel should fall as far as it could in a worldwide recession then one of the key justifications for producing alternative vehicles goes for a Burton. Similarly as less oil is used the price falls and demand rises again. I still think that one of the main advantages of the electric vehicle will be the convenience of powering them up. No petrol stations. Things like that matter more to most people who, in the final analysis, care more about ease of use than any other issue.

RobotBoogie 7 October 2008

Re: Audi to launch electric car

The A2 increasingly looks like a car that was ahead of its time.