Audi E-tron buggy spied

By Jack Rix

12th August 2011

Meet Audi's vision of future urban mobility. This tiny two-seater concept car was spotted during a film shoot in the centre of Berlin. Branded E-tron and with the four-rings badge on the front grille, it's understood to be making its world debut at the Frankfurt show next month.

See sketches of the Audi UrbanConcept here.

Our spies on the scene confirmed that the car was moving silently under its own steam - suggesting an all-electric powertrain. They also noticed that there was space for two adults inside, with the second seat set back and to the side of the driver's.

Video: watch spy footage of the Audi E-tron

Our sources have revealed that the quadricycle will be called the Audi City E-tron concept, and this video gives an excellent sense of its pint-sized scale. The aerodynamic wraparound windscreen and stretched roofline are all in the aid of slipping through the air with the minimum disturbance, while any excess weight looks to have been stripped away.

Although there are no precise details on the powertrain, the City E-tron is reminiscent of the Volkswagen L1 concept, which debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Show. That was powered by a 36bhp 0.8-litre two-cylinder turbodiesel engine along with a 14bhp electric motor, resulting in fuel economy of 157mpg.