Geneva 2010: Audi A1 e-tron Wankels its way to the show floor

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:52:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi, Electric

Audi A1 e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

No, Wankel is not really a verb. At least, not that we know of. But it is the last name of the man who designed the rotary engine, and we think our man Felix would be more than pleased with the latest application of his barrel-shaped internal combustion powerplant. In case you missed it before, that would be as the range-extender buried inside Audi's new A1 e-tron electric vehicle, which is currently on display at the Geneva Motor Show.

As we told you before, Audi's smallest e-tron features a 12-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack that feeds a steady stream of electrons to a front-mounted electric motor with 102 peak horsepower. The aforementioned Wankel rotary engine features one lone rotor, displaces 254cc and sits just aft of the battery pack under the rear seat. Why a Wankel? Audi says the complete package weighs in at just 154 pounds and puts out a nice, steady stream of power at a constant 5,000 RPM. Check out our gallery of live images from the show floor in Geneva below.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Audi A1 e-tron

Gallery: Audi A1 e-tron concept

Geneva 2010: Audi A1 e-tron Wankels its way to the show floor originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi A1 e-tron runs like Volt, advances ER-EV concept

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi, Electric

Audi A1 e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

After teasing us with a few goodies yesterday, Audi has just released technical details on its new A1 e-tron concept that debuts later today at the Geneva Motor Show. As we already knew, the A1 uses an extended range electric architecture like the Chevrolet Volt, but with a compact and power-dense Wankel rotary engine/generator to keep the battery alive after power from the grid is depleted. The diagrams released by Audi show that the Wankel is mounted in the car's rear behind the T-shaped battery pack that sits mostly under the rear seat.

The lithium ion battery pack has a capacity of 12 kilowatt-hours, which is claimed to provide about 30 miles of range on a charge. Unlike the 1,000+ pound pack in the original e-tron concept, this unit weighs in at just 330 pounds. The electric motor provides a standard output of 45 kW or 61 horsepower, though peak power of 75 kW or 102 hp is available in short bursts and keeps the car's 0-62 mile-per-hour time around 10 seconds. The motor and all of the power electronics reside in the car's front where the internal combustion powerplant of a conventional A1 would normally be found.

The Wankel weighs in at just 154 lbs and displaces just 254 cc of volume in its single rotor. The whole unit is small enough to sit below the cargo floor of the A1. Running at a constant 5,000 rpm, the rotary motor can extend the A1 e-tron's range to 130 miles. Why not longer? The fuel tank holds only 3.17 gallons. With the Wankel running, Audi says the A1 e-tron will return about 124 miles per gallon U.S.

Of historical note, the first ever production car with a Wankel rotary engine was introduced by NSU back in 1964. NSU later merged with Auto Union, which also included Audi, the sole surviving brand of the group.

Gallery: Audi A1 e-tron concept

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi A1 e-tron runs like Volt, advances ER-EV concept

Audi A1 e-tron runs like Volt, advances ER-EV concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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