Audi has introduced the A2 e-tron, an all-electric compact model that the German carmaker describes as the “most efficient model” it has built.

Orders will open in Germany with a starting price of €38,200 ($44,364).

The car has a worldwide harmonised light vehicles test procedure (WLTP) energy consumption figure of 12.8kWh per 100km and a WLTP driving range of up to 646km.

Four power outputs are available, ranging from 125kW/350 Nm to 240kW/545 Nm, matched with battery options of 52kWh, 61kWh and 84kWh (gross).

The vehicle runs on “permanently excited synchronous” motors with a rear-wheel-drive layout.

Production is taking place at Audi’s Ingolstadt facility in Germany, where the company said more than 1,200 existing production parts and about 250 robots previously deployed for other models are being used.

The site is also adopting the “pearl chain” manufacturing principle, a fixed-order production system that has already been introduced at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant.

Bidirectional charging is included, covering vehicle-to-load capability, with vehicle-to-home functionality available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland through compatible direct current (DC) wall boxes.

Standard safety and driver-assistance features include emergency brake assist, evasive assist, attention assist, adaptive cruise control, parking system plus and a rearview camera.

Inside, the model is fitted with an 11.9in Audi virtual cockpit plus and a 12.8in curved multimedia interface (MMI) touch display, with a 1.6m² panoramic glass roof offered as an option.

According to Audi, the A2 e-tron reached the market 21 months ahead of comparable predecessor models, which the company attributes to “streamlined development processes”.

The model was unveiled in the French capital Paris by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, who said: “A2 e-tron makes e-mobility easier, more efficient and more convincing for everyday life.”

“We developed the A2 e-tron with a clear focus on Europe – on the way people live, drive and use their cars here. It’s designed to meet the needs of European customers – developed in Germany, and built in Ingolstadt”, he added.

Ordering opens on 10 September 2026, with deliveries scheduled to begin in December 2026.

The launch comes as parent company Volkswagen Group undergoes broader restructuring.

The group’s supervisory board has approved Future Plan 2030, under which a further 50,000 positions will be cut across the group.

This follows an earlier announcement this year of 50,000 job cuts, bringing the total number of planned reductions at Volkswagen Group by the end of the decade to 100,000.

“Audi unveils electric A2 e-tron targeting compact segment” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.