Audi A1 e-tron Fleet Starts Munich Pilot Project

No less than twenty Audi A1 e-trons will be on trial in Munich by mid-2011 as part of a project undertaken by Audi AG in partnership with E.ON, the Munich municipal utility company Stadtwerke München (SWM) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

All MCVs (Mega City vehicles) will be fueled (so to speak) by 200 newly installed charging stations, offering information on the data transfer between the driver, vehicle and electric filling station to the power grid and the use of smartphones as the central interface for the driver.

Delivering an output equivalent to 102PS, the lithium-ion battery mounted within the floor assembly in front of the rear axle of the A1 e-tron powers it to a top speed of 81 mph (130 km/h) and gives it a range of more than 31 miles (50 km) in city traffic.

From start up it is classified as a zero emissions vehicle over this distance. A compact internal combustion engine recharges the battery when its energy is depleted.

The Department of Vehicle Engineering has developed a mobile application that will be provided on a smartphone to all participants of the fleet trial. The device will thoroughly document their mobility behaviour – from their use of bicycles to the electric cars and from conventional cars to buses and trains.

The fleet trial is being supported by the German Federal Ministry of Transport as part of a publicly-funded project.

The first all-electric Audi e-tron model to enter production will be based on the e-tron sports car concept first shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Show and is expected to be available from late 2012.