Audi apparently wants to have an e-tron version of their entire lineup. Here’s the A3 e-tron concept which is based on an A3 Sportback.
This electric A3 gets a 100 kW (136 hp) and 270 Nm of torque electric motor which sends the power to the front wheels. It doesn’t have a gearbox as such, since the power is transmitted via a single gear transmission. Since the battery pack is located underneath the boot, the e-tron conversion has no dramatic effect on the A3 Sportback’s practicality as it still offers up to 265 liters of space.
Performance-wise the A3 e-tron can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.2 seconds and has a top speed of 145 mph or around 230 km/h with a range of 140 km. These figures are not bad given the size and class of the car.
Mind you, the main drawback of electric cars, which is really long recharge time, exist in the A3 as well. It takes nine hours to recharge with a 230 V household outlet. Even on 400V charger it takes four hours.
The car looks pretty much the same as standard model, apart form some graphics and a new instrument cluster.