Audi’s cheapest EV is also its most efficient car of all time

Audi is bringing back the A2 name for a new electric car, and the company says it will be its most efficient vehicle yet. The A2 e-tron debuts this fall in Germany starting at about €38,200 (around $44,000), making it Audi's cheapest EV, roughly €10,000 less than the Q4 e-tron. It offers up to 403 miles of range under WLTP testing (a European standard, so U.S. range figures may differ) and comes with four power options and three battery sizes: 50, 58, and 79 kWh.

The car uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, a type known for being durable and less prone to degradation than some other EV batteries, and Audi says it reaches 89.6% charging efficiency at a home wallbox charger. It also includes bidirectional charging, meaning the car's battery can send power back out, not just take it in. This allows it to work as a backup power source: Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) can run tools or devices directly, and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) can potentially power parts of a house.

For a homeowner considering an EV, the bidirectional charging feature is the detail worth watching. If it works with home backup systems when the car reaches the U.S. or other markets, it could let the car double as emergency power storage, similar to a stationary home battery, though pricing and availability outside Germany have not been announced.