Audi A2 EV concept

The Wall St Journal reports on the Audi A2 EV concept:

Luxury car maker Audi says it will unveil its A2 electric concept car during the Frankfurt Motor Show this month. Audi says the vehicle, which is about 12 and a half feet long, is still roomy enough for four people. The company also says the car represents the “future of electric mobility.”

The concept car’s interior is designed to make the most of available space. It has a flat floor, storage space under its fold-up seats, a two-level rear load area and enough space between the rear seats for a city bicycle with  its front wheel removed.

The center console is attached to the driver’s seat instead of the floor and the rear console extends forward between the two rear seats.

One of the car’s main purposes is to show new types of automotive lighting, including its “matrix beam” headlights that use light-emitting diodes and microreflectors to produce defined light with less glare. The A2′s tail lights adjust intensity depending on visibility conditions. The rear fog light forms a beam of light and projects a red triangle warning  onto the road.

A band of light that runs from the front to the rear of the A2 under the edge of the window from the front to the rear of the A2 concept, called dynamic lighting, forms side markers, directional signals and includes sensors that detect the driver and respond to gesture commands. The vehicle is scheduled for launch in 2016.


[Note: here are the now released photos}