Audi has announced that it will partner with utilities E.ON and Stadtwerke München (SWM) as well as the Technical University of Munich (TUM) launch a field test program with its A1 e-tron in Munich, Germany by mid-2011. The automaker will supply 20 of the extended-range electric vehicles to its partners for an evaluation of the communication systems between the driver, vehicle and grid. Smartphone applications that let drivers monitor and manage charging will be a big part of the test program.

The A1 e-tron was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and uses a novel powertrain setup. The lithium-ion battery pack gives 30 miles of driving range before a range-extender powered by a small single-rotor Wankel fires up. Under the current EU draft proposal for measuring fuel consumption of ER-EVs, Audi estimates the A1 e-tron will get about 124 miles per gallon combined.

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