The nimble Audi tiny electric vehicle idea draws on the brand’s NSU roots.

An electric version of a time-honored automobile that belonged to one of Audi’s forebears has been developed by the company.

The concept, which was revealed on Saturday, modernises and electrifies an NSU Prinz 4, which first went into production in 1961. Apprentices at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm, Germany, were responsible for the project, which was given the name EP4 (Electric Prinz 4) They did it to commemorate the fact that the plant has been producing vehicles for 150 years.

NSU began manufacturing sewing machines at the site 150 years before Audi was founded, but the company eventually shifted its focus to producing bicycles and motorcycles instead of sewing machines. The production of automobiles began in 1905. The Wankel rotary motor, which was developed by NSU and later popularised by Mazda, is probably the thing that makes NSU the most well-known company in the history of modern automobiles. It is anticipated that it will continue to function as a small range extender in the MX-30 R-EV.

Strategy developed by Audi EP4 based on the NSU Prinz 4.

In the later 1960s, Volkswagen’s team made the acquisition of NSU and then combined it with another VW Group house brand, Car Union. After the merger, the resulting business was given the name Audi, but it maintained the Auto Union four-ring brand. In one of its earlier incarnations, Audi was one of the four automakers that came together to form Car Union.

Since production of the Prinz 4 continued all the way up until 1973, it is one of the few NSU-branded autos that is still in existence. By replacing the existing air-cooled, rear-mounted 2-cylinder motor with the electric motor from an E-Tron SUV (now called the Q8 E-Tron), the EP4 strategy will significantly boost the amount of electrical power available, bringing it from 30 horsepower to 236 horsepower. The battery pack comes from a plug-in hybrid version of the Audi Q7 that is sold in other countries. It is installed in the space that is traditionally occupied by the vehicle’s petrol tank.

The chassis of the Prinz 4 is derived from an altered Audi A1, and it features up-to-date brakes and axles in order to adequately control the increased power. The interior was outfitted with individualised devices and displays, and 3D printing was used for the production of a good deal of the one-of-a-kind components.

Conceptualization of the Audi EP4 centred on the NSU Prinz 4.

The EP4 is a one-of-a-kind electric restomod, but it serves as an excellent thought exercise for how compact automobiles and trucks could make the transition to electric power in a lot more stunning fashion, without being so much taller. Overall, despite the greater burden of the battery, it is still anticipated to have a very rapid rate of acceleration; nevertheless, Audi has not yet discovered any stopwatch advantages.

Ten years ago, Audi was working on a scaled-down version of its A2 city car that would run entirely on electric power. However, the company ultimately decided to shelve this project, and ever since then, the brand has focused its development efforts on moving generally higher. That includes the Quality Platform Electrical (PPE), which was developed to make its debut in an electric version of the Porsche Macan.

In the interim, the Audi Q4 E-Tron is the smallest electrical Audi for the United States market. It is a design that has an emphasis on practicability and has a price that is lower than that of other high-quality EVs of its size.