Audi’s small, light EVs both interesting and nonsensical

Written By Thomas Ponco on Monday, August 29, 2011 | 2:12 PM

The first Sports Cars are considered to be (though the term would not be coined until after World War One) the 3 litre made in 1910 Vauxhall 20 hp (15 kW) and 27/80PS Austro-Daimler (designed by Ferdinand Porsche).

The future of urban drag-racing?




At first glance Audi’s new urban concept vehicles, set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show, are real attention grabbers, whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em.


Are they modern day go-carts, or cool urban sports coupes that hark back to the days of drive-ins and poodle skirts — and souped up racers?


Either way you look at them, these new carbon-fiber wrapped plug-in electric cars beg a number of questions.


Can small cars — regardless of powertrain — become a much bigger mix of the automaker portfolio? The answer to that question seems obvious. With CO2 regulations and fuel economy requirements increasing in many key auto markets throughout the world, downsizing is going to be a key driver of the future.


Consequently, can carbon fiber help decrease weight, in addition to making smaller cars more safe? Again, the answer to that question seems obvious. However, can carbon fiber achieve this role cost-effectively?


Unfortunately, thus far, carbon fiber still seems to be most mentioned in luxury circles, such as Audi, BMW and Lexus.


And, finally, what is the required range of a small, urban sports coupe? Is 31 – 37 miles even in the ballpark?


If, for example, these new concepts are perceived to be nothing more than glorified electric golf carts for local travel through your gated community, for instance, then maybe 30-something miles is sufficient. But a real world electric urban car with only 31 miles of EV range seems a silly notion, unless easily implemented dynamic charging has been invented, and the EV is priced well under $10,000.


Whether you like the Spyder version pictured above, or the similar coupe version, which offers a retractable canopy; however, neither seem to suggest a sub-$10,000 price tag.


Of course, these are just concepts meant to show new trends and design languages for the future of Audi, and let’s be honest, if you want consumers to enjoy downsizing, automakers are going to have to make smaller cars more exciting. To that end, these concepts work, but they fail as EVs, at least based upon their current range.


Perhaps the most noteworthy takeaways are Audi’s commitment to carbon-fiber as a critical element of a new line of small, fun compact cars for urban dwellers that don’t necessarily need a lot of car for their daily commute, just a fun way to take the bore out of the daily commute.


Source: AutoWeek

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