The genesis of a high potential electric car market has already set foot. Chevrolet and Nissan are already out with their versions and now it’s time for BMW and Audi to make a move in this direction. BMW i3, the new urban drive train has already been showcased and will be out on the streets by 2013. Audi with its new innovation car A2 is also in line to make a mark and differentiate itself from the competitors. Given below is an account on Audi A2 and BMW i3. Take a look.
Why the comparison
In order to give competition to BMW i3, Audi has developed its electric concept car, Audi A2. The chassis of both the cars are aluminum based and the other body parts are made from carbon fiber reinforced polymer. The Audi A2 has further innovated with electrically operated steering and breaking parting away from any kind of hydraulic connection.
Audi A2 Concept
The new Audi A2 is a five door hatchback with a premium vehicle concept that revolves around two main components; a classical space concept and a powerful electric drive system. There is plenty of space for accommodating four people and the electric drive comes integrated with by-wire technology with purely electric steering and brakes and a built-in internet connectivity. The exterior is so designed that it maintains the typical powerful, elegant and sporty look of the brand. Low beam and high beam lights are produced by the numerous small light diodes that are arranged in a matrix beam LED headlights format. Five laser diodes are used to project a red triangle as a rear fog light. It also has a dark glass roof that will turn transparent just by the push of a button.
The green side
The ultra light weight construction of the Audi A2 puts the weight of the car at 1,150 kilograms including a 31KWH lithium-ion battery. It will take roughly 1.5 hours for a full battery charge with a 400 volt three phase current and with a 230 volt household current, it will take around 4 hours. In just 9.3 seconds, it will accelerate from 0 to 100km/h with a top speed of 150km/h.
The ultra light weight of the car is attributed to the superstructure made from aluminum components and the add on parts made form carbon fiber. The dimensions of the car describe its compactness, the length is 149.76 inches, width is 66.65 inches and the height is 58.82 inches.
The dark side
Audi A2 uses the Audi space frame design for the compactness of the vehicle. Aluminum body frame was used and it was optimized by the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer. The use of aluminum in small production runs can be an expensive proposition; this means that the car is going to be relatively overpriced in comparison with the other A-class series. The other component parts too have to be specifically optimized for the production and that too will add to cost, therefore this Audi might not be the one with as good returns on investment as the others.
BMW i3 concept
The developing team of the BMW i3 calls it the Megacity car. The purpose behind the effort was to make a new concept drive train for the metropolitan citizens who will soon demand compact cars high on efficiency. Word is spreading that the new BMW i3 might follow the Japanese electric and hybrid mix, with a range extender gasoline engine for a smoother and more powerful acceleration, which will be its high purchase point. The car is most likely to been seen on the roads around 2013.
The green side
The BMW i3 is an urban car with zero emissions, the weight of this car is around 1,250 kilograms including the weight of the lithium-ion battery and BMW claims that in comparison to cars in the same category, this version is 226 to 360 kilograms less. The electric motor generates around 167 horsepower with a range of 80 to 90 miles and reaches from 0 to 62mph in less than 8 seconds.. With normal household current, it gets fully charged in about 6 hours or about an hour for charging 80% of the battery at a charging station. The German car manufactures have to meet certain green standards and BMW too will adopt carbon neutral technology for production using renewable sources of energy.
The dark side
The dark side of the BMW i3 is that firstly the range of this car is around 93 miles which is less in comparison to the other in the market. The charging time is around 6 hours and that limits your travel. Other electric cars in the market have a relatively higher acceleration.
Final verdict
Audi A2 and BMW i3 come with many similarities and a few variations. Although the concept of the drive train is applicable for both, BMW i3 is more focused for the urban rider, looking for power as well as efficiency. It will come with an extendable power range with a hybrid version that will have a gasoline engine too. The Audi A2 is purely an electric car. The acceleration of both the cars is low in comparison with gasoline cars and they both take around 7-9 seconds to reach from 0 to 62mph.
