Audi unveils compact A2 e-tron as sales pressure mounts
The Volkswagen unit will build its new electric vehicle in Ingolstadt, with deliveries due to begin in December.
Audi has unveiled the compact A2 e-tron in Paris as it seeks to strengthen its position in Europe’s smaller-car market and revive sales amid competition from more affordable Chinese electric vehicles.
The Volkswagen unit said the vehicle consumes 12.8 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres, describing it as the most efficient model in the brand’s history. Audi also claims a maximum range of 646 kilometres. Both figures remain subject to independent testing.
The A2 nameplate, last used by Audi in the early 2000s, will return as an electric vehicle built at the company’s plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in December, although the source does not specify the year.
Audi sales fell for a second consecutive year and declined 7 per cent in the first half of 2026, according to Reuters. The company has cited fierce competition in China and US tariffs as factors affecting demand.
Audi chief executive Gernot Doellner said the company was reviewing the future of its Neckarsulm plant in south-west Germany, where no new model has been allocated after 2034. He said Audi would work with union representatives on measures to optimise the factory.
The comments come after Volkswagen’s supervisory board approved sweeping job cuts amid tariffs, overcapacity and competition from Chinese rivals. Neckarsulm is among four German Volkswagen plants reportedly threatened with possible closure after 2030, though no closure decision has been announced.
