Car blogs

It's true that electric vehicles are only as clean as the sources of their electricity. If the juice comes from a coal or natural gas plant, the EV isn't a zero-emissions vehicle. Not really.


In an apparent effort to address this fact, Audi announced today that it has partnered with the international consortium Desertec Industrial Initiative to increase the percentage of electricity coming from sustainable sources.


The long-term goal of the joint venture is the conversion of solar and wind energy to electricity in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East.


"When at Audi we speak of sustainable mobility, we are looking at the entire energy balance," Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler said in a statement. He did not disclose the amount of money Audi would be contributing to the venture.




The German automaker is looking to introduce its first small-series electric car to the market as early as 2012.


The Desertec Industrial Initiative is backed by 16 founding companies, the DESERTEC Foundation and associated partners.

Tags: Alternative Fuels, Audi, Emissions, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar, Wind, Audi, Desertec Industrial Initiative, Electric Vehicles, Rupert Stadler, Solar Energy, Wind Energy

---

Audi Partners With Consortium That Invests in Sustainable Sources of Electricity was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.