At a glance
- Audi's new compact electric model, badged as the A2 e-tron
- Most efficient Audi ever built, using just 12.8kWh per 100km in its best form
- Up to 401 miles WLTP range depending on battery and power output
- Three battery sizes and four power levels to choose from
- UK order books open October 2026, with deliveries starting early 2027
- UK prices start from £32,200 OTR
Built for efficiency
Audi has revealed the A2 e-tron, a new compact electric model the brand is calling its most efficient car to date. It's designed to be the easier, more accessible way into the Audi electric range, built in Ingolstadt and aimed squarely at everyday driving rather than outright performance.
The headline number is efficiency. In its most frugal form, the A2 e-tron uses just 12.8kWh per 100km, a figure Audi says makes it the most efficient model it has ever produced. Much of that comes down to aerodynamics. The A2 e-tron has a drag coefficient of 0.24, the best of any car in Audi's compact lineup, helped along by a mostly enclosed underbody, a controllable cool air intake at the front, and wheel arch trims designed to smooth airflow around the tyres.
Battery, range and charging
There's a decent spread of options too. Buyers can choose from three battery sizes, 52kWh, 61kWh and 84kWh, paired with four power outputs ranging from 170PS up to 326PS. Depending on the combination, WLTP range runs from around 262 miles up to 401 miles on the longest range version. Charging is handled at up to 183kW on the larger battery, which Audi says is enough for a 10 to 80 per cent top up in around 29 minutes. The smaller batteries charge a little quicker, in the low to mid 20 minute range.
One of the more useful additions is bidirectional charging, which turns the A2 e-tron into more than just a car. Vehicle-to-Load lets you run things like e-bikes or camping gear straight from the car's battery, while Vehicle-to-Home, where a compatible wall box is fitted, lets the car feed power back into your house. It's a feature more commonly seen in bigger vehicles, so it's a notable addition at this end of the market. Worth flagging that Vehicle-to-Home is currently limited to the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Interior and technology
Inside, Audi has focused on making the most of a compact footprint. A fabric covered dashboard trim called the Softwrap runs from the front of the cabin into the rear doors, and there's a panoramic glass roof available if you want more light in the cabin. The A2 e-tron also introduces the Fidlock fastening system to a premium car for the first time, a small magnetic click mechanism used to secure things like cupholders and cable bags in the centre console and boot, which sounds like a small thing until you've actually tried to wedge a charging cable into a normal glovebox.
On the tech side, the standard 11.9 inch digital driver display and 12.8 inch curved touchscreen form what Audi calls the MMI panoramic display, and there's an AI powered Audi assistant built in, along with an e-tron route planner that works out charging stops based on traffic, route and charger availability in real time. There's also a work focused feature bundling Microsoft Outlook and Teams into the car, aimed at people who find themselves taking calls between meetings.
Safety and driver assistance
Safety and driver assistance is another area where Audi has clearly tried to punch above the car's size and price. Emergency brake assist, swerve assist, attention assist, adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera all come as standard, features you'd normally expect to pay extra for on a car this size. Higher trim packages add things like automatic braking at red traffic lights and a trained parking function that can learn and repeat a regular parking manoeuvre, such as pulling into your driveway at home.
Sustainability
Audi has also put some thought into what happens to the car once it eventually reaches the end of its life. More than 300 components use some recycled steel, aluminium or plastic, and the dashboard has been designed with fewer different materials than usual to make it easier to recycle.
UK pricing and availability
In the UK, order books for the A2 e-tron open in October 2026, with the first deliveries expected in early 2027. Prices start from £32,200 on the road. Full UK specification and pricing across the different battery and power combinations will be confirmed nearer to the order date.
It's an interesting entry into a part of the market that's becoming increasingly competitive, and one worth keeping an eye on if you're weighing up your next electric car. As always, we'll have full details on the A2 e-tron once it's available to lease through DriveElectric, along with our own honest breakdown of how it stacks up against everything else on the market. Join the DriveElectric mailing list and we'll keep you up to date.
