From Classic To Cutting-Edge: Audi's NSU Prinz 4 Reborn As A High-Performance EV With E-Tron Tech
Audi trainees gave a famous classic automobile an electrified makeover. The crew "awoke" a sleeping NSU Prinz 4 from 1971 by charging it with Audi e-tron EV technology.?
Audi challenged its apprentices to restore a classic car with an all-electric drive train
Audi challenged its apprentices to restore a classic car with an all-electric drive train in honour of the 150th anniversary of its Neckarsulm facility.The Audi Neckarsulm plant has produced several of the brand's best-selling models and will begin production of the Audi e-tron GT quattro, the company's first fully electric vehicle, at the end of 2020.?
Audi has adapted the site for the electric era over the years with technologies such as AI and 3D printing to improve efficiency and high-voltage battery manufacture.
"We wanted to build a car that was not only fast and looked cool," remarked Dean Scheuffler, an apprentice at the factory, to commemorate the milestone. The NSU Prinz 4 was the ideal complement because it had been sitting idle for decades.The NSU Prinz 4 EV, also known as the Audi "EP4," was unveiled this week at Audi Family Day.?
The "E" stands for electric driving, while the "P4" honours the NSU Prinz 4, a classic car manufactured in Neckarsulm by NSU Motorenwerke from 1961 to 1963.The refurbished electric automobile was unveiled by trainees from the mechatronics, bodywork, vehicle building mechanics, and painting courses.
The EV is powered by a 240 horsepower electric motor
The mechanics worked on the powertrain, battery, and suspension while the body and paint specialists worked on the chassis and outside of the car.The EV, which is powered by a 240 horsepower (176 kW) electric motor from a 2020 Audi e-tron, is eight times more powerful than the NSU Prinz 4's original two-cylinder petrol engine, which had 30 hp.?
In addition, a battery from the Audi Q7 TFSI e-quattro plug-in hybrid was installed under the front hood, once home to the petrol tank. The EV "breathes" through an open-air intake at the bottom bumper, and heat escapes through the hood hole.?
The NSU Prinz 4 EV conversion required considerable chassis and cosmetic modifications. Its redesigned floor plan is based on an Audi A1, including the brakes and axles.?
The team installed the redesigned (and much expanded) body on top after adding beefy fenders from a 3D printer.Cynthia Huster, an apprentice auto painter, remarked, "The eye travels with you! We wanted the performance of the EP4 to be obvious from every angle."The interior has been stripped down to the minimal requirements, and all other surfaces have been painted black, as is usual in racing cars.?
The instruments and displays are displayed on a single-board computer and screen.?
According to Audi, NSU automobiles made history and continue to inspire automotive enthusiasts today.
The carmaker stated, "With its charm and electric drivetrain, the EP4 stirs anticipation for the coming all-electric chapters in the continuing story of Audi's Neckarsulm site."?
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