A2, Take 2

Will the second act of the A2 have more commercial success? From a hardware perspective the choices are more conservative. The original car experimented with an aluminum space frame and body panels that were normally reserved for much bigger vehicles. While expensive and a nightmare to repair, they did allow for a car that weighed in well under 1.000 kg! A number that is simply unimaginable in today's world. Paired with the super sober tdi's from back in the day, the car consumed less than 3 liters of diesel. The new A2 makes none of those radical choices. Riding on the MEB+ platform of the VW group, it can shop around in the very big warehouse of its mother company. It does mean that the brand has to work double as hard to put its product apart from all of its cousins that share the same DNA.

What is the A2? It's a compact, premium electric Audi. It focuses on being a sensible small car with low consumption and enough interior space to be practical. The ideal car for the (sub)urban dweller with a comfortable budget but no space or need for a full size vehicle. Given the old school 400v MEB platform it is stuck on, charging speeds are sadly very un-impressive. With a maximum charging power of 100 kw for the entry level battery and an ok-ish 183 kw for the big one. If you are planning to do long road trips, you are better off looking in the product portfolio of Mercedes where the entry level products all ride on 800v architecture. Although none of the "A" family comes quite close to the small footprint of the four-ringed A2. Luckily the car does come vehicle to home/grid ready for those markets where the technology is slowly taking off. Given the challenges the energy world if facing, it's always good to keep the option open.

Although it will be built for the European market in Germany, China is everywhere these days. To compete with the newer players, speed is of the essence and the car was developed in record time, for a European player. It came to market almost two years faster than Audi predecessors. You can feel the influence of the middle kingdom in other areas too. The small 51 kwh battery has a LFP composition, while the bigger ones are more traditional NMC and top out at an, for this class, impressive 84 kwh. Audi is also learning to focus a bit more on the practical side of life. You can't just make sure you maximize the space you provide, it has to be fun and easy to fill in. The Fidlock fastening system with magnetic connections for anything from the luggage to cup holders fits in this narrative. There is one thing where the Germans are resisting the call of the orient with maximum effort: options. As you would expect some of the extra Fidlock connections are not included in the standard car.