Audi’s A2 e-tron promises 401 miles of range without turning into a giant electric barge

Audi is reviving the A2 name for a compact electric crossover that aims to make efficiency more interesting than sheer size. The A2 e-tron is pitched at European buyers with a claimed range of up to 401 miles, while avoiding the giant-electric-barge problem that has swallowed much of the market.

What’s actually going on

Audi announced the A2 e-tron on 7 September 2026. According to The Verge’s report, the European-market compact crossover starts at £32,200 and can travel up to 401 miles, or 645 kilometres, on the WLTP cycle depending on its battery and drivetrain configuration. Audi claims the most efficient version uses 12.8 kWh per 100 km and has a drag coefficient of 0.24.

The A2 e-tron will also support bidirectional charging, including vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-home functions when paired with compatible hardware. Inside, the cabin gets an 11.9-inch digital instrument display and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen. Audi says the model is intended for Europe and is not currently planned for North America.

Why you should care

The interesting bit is not that Audi has built another electric crossover; everyone is building another electric crossover. It is that the A2 e-tron appears designed around doing more with less. A claimed 12.8 kWh per 100 km would make efficiency the selling point rather than simply adding a larger battery to compensate for a heavy, bluff body.

Those numbers are manufacturer claims reported by The Verge, not independent test results. Final UK trim levels, delivery timing, charging speeds, option pricing and real-world range remain to be confirmed. The £32,200 figure should therefore be treated as an indicative starting price, not a fully specified on-the-road cost.

Our opinion

The A2 e-tron is a welcome attempt to make electric cars smaller and smarter instead of merely larger and more expensive. If Audi can deliver anything close to this range and efficiency in ordinary driving, it could be one of the more sensible European EVs to watch. For now, the sensible move is to wait for final specifications and independent testing before treating the 401-mile claim as gospel.