Audi continues to show off its e-tron electric system in all its vehicles. The latest model to get the e-tron treatment is the A3.
The A3 e-tron prototype is powered by an electric motor that powers the front wheels. The electric motor gets its juice from mid and rear mounted battery packs and puts out out 134 horsepower and 199 lb-ft. of torque. It accelerates from 0-62 mph in 11.2 seconds and has a top speed of 90 mph. The 26.5 kWh lithium-ion battery is capable of powering the electric motor up to 90 miles on a single charge. It will take up to nine hours to recharge the system using a standard 110-volt power outlet, but only four hours using a 400-volt rapid charger.
For the most part the A3 e-tron looks the same as the gasoline and diesel powered A3 models, but the A3 e-tron gets a new instrument cluster, heated windshield, and a low consumption A/C system.
Audi’s first production electric model will be the R8 e-tron in 2013. There’s no word when the A3 e-tron will enter production.
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