Germans Give A1 e-tron the e-car-award 2010

Some 36,212 readers of the German AUTO TEST magazine have selected Audi's third electric vehicle concept, the A1 e-tron, as the e-car of the year. This is the first edition of the award, held in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance on June 3, and the A1 e-tron snatched the win after competing against 25 other models.

Forming a class of its own, Mega City Vehicle, the new A1 is a four passenger compact electric car in the premium class. It was built to be used in city environments in Europe and North America, as well as in metropolitan areas in Asia and South America.

It uses a transversely mounted synchronous electric motor, which has a continuous output of 45 kW (61 hp), with peak power of 75 kW (102 hp) available in short bursts. As with any electric vehicle, 150 Nm of torque is continuously available, with the peak torque reaching 240 Nm.

Power for the electric motor is stored in a battery pack which allows for a maximum range of 50 kilometers (31.07 miles). When needed for longer trips, the batteries are recharged with the help of a so-called range extender, in fact a single-rotor 254 cc Wankel engine. The range gained by using the extender can reach 200 kilometers (124.27 miles).

Audi presented so far three versions of the e-tron family, with the first shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year and the second in 2010 in Detroit. Production of the first e-tron models is expected to begin in 2012.