Especially in the US and Europe, entry-level electric cars are what the market is missing right now. For some buyers, this involves budget-friendly vehicles starting at $20,000+, while others prefer a different perspective. A case in point with Audi, which is preparing its entry-level battery-powered model as an A3 EV successor tentatively called A2 e-tron and set to enter production between 2025 and 2027.
Earlier this year, Audi announced a new nomenclature that would see EVs using even numbers and ICE cars using odd model numbers. And this is why Audi is expected to name the upcoming A3 EV successor the A2 e-tron (the latter particle has been used to designate every battery-powered Audi to date and there’s been no announcement on dropping this).
The entry point to Audi’s current electric range is the Q4 E-Tron crossover. However, the carmaker has confirmed it preparing an A3-sized EV for the second part of the decade. This will effectively replace the A3 once the 2025 facelift retires.
In March 16 this year, at Audi’s 2023 Annual Media Conference, the company announced it would sell an EV for all the segments where it’s currently present. In addition, CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed the company is developing a model slotted above the Q4 e-tron while adding that the A1 supermini and Q2 small crossover will be retired. And this is essentially the CEO confirming an electric successor for the A3.
Back in 2021, Duesmann told the media the carmaker would stop producing ICE vehicles in 2033, with the Chinese market being the only exception. 2026 is an intermediate milestone, as that’s the year when Audi will launch its last all-new ICE/PHEV models (think: next-generation Audi RS6 PHEV).
The Audi A3’s EV successor (Q2 e-tron) will use the MEB+ architecture
Most of the Volkswagen Group’s current EVs feature the MEB platform. And the Q2 e-tron electric successor to the A3 will ride on an evolution of the architecture named MEB+, which the company announced last year.
The Q2 e-tron/A3 EV successor’s MEB+ platform will maintain the current 400V architecture—as opposed to higher-tier future Audi EVs switching to 800V hardware. However, featuring a new generation of VW batteries that will bring ranges of up to 430 miles (700 km), the MEB+ will shorten charging times thanks to charging speeds of up to 200 kW.
As far as the pricing goes, those seeking an affordable electric vehicle from the VW Group will have their needs catered to by the production version of the Volkswagen ID 2all concept shown in March, which proposed a starting price of $27,000 (EUR25,000). For Audi customers, the battery-powered range will see the Q2 e-tron/A3 EV successor starting at around $40,000—this is an estimation based on the current Q4 e-tron kicking off at $49,800 and the ICE A3 Sedan starting at $35,400 for 2024.
Increased size and futuristic design for the upcoming entry-level electric Audi
According to an autocar report from three months ago, the Q2 e-tron electric successor to the A3 will be launched by 2027. The vehicle will continue to be offered as a hatchback and a sedan, albeit being slightly larger than the current vehicles. And, based on the current offer, only the electric sedan will be offered in the US.
The styling of the Audi Q2 e-tron/A3 EV successor will follow the streamlined designs we’ve seen via the MEB platform (think: VW ID3/ID4 and Cupra Born). We’ve brought along some renderings from the Car Review Channel on YouTube, which portrays the Q2 e-tron electric successor to the A3, which shows the lavish, futuristic design of the upcoming model in multiple colors.