Audi pledges 25% share in own electric car models in 10 years

PanARMENIAN.Net - Audi expects that 25% of the cars it sells just 10 years hence will be either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid models, VentureBeat reports.

And it came directly from Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, in front of a packed media audience at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Audi sold 1.7 million cars globally in 2014, of which 182,000 went to U.S. buyers. Assuming at least 2 million vehicles by then, that means the company would sell half a million electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles a year in 2025.

The public projection culminated an intensive week of activity by Audi to talk more openly and candidly about the addition of plug-in vehicles to its portfolio, and how it intends to roll them out over the next few years.

Audi has said the production version of the all-electric Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept will go on sale in 2018.

And it is now releasing its first vehicle with a plug–the 2016 Audi A3 e-Tron Sportback plug-in hybrid, with a 16-mile electric range, which it says will go on sale nationwide–the first simultaneous full national roll-out of any plug-in vehicle.

It will offer plug-in hybrid versions of many of its mainstream vehicles, including the large Q7 sport-utility vehicle and several sedan models.

And Keogh suggested that there will be additional battery-electric models beyond the production e-Tron Quattro crossover utility vehicle as well.