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Audi, which has begun a drive to add electric vehicles to its lineup, says it believes EVs could account for as much as 5 percent of its annual sales by 2020.


The company has said that it will market electrics under the "e-tron" badge and has so far shown several concept models including the all-wheel and rear-wheel drive e-tron sports cars shown at the 2009 Frankfurt and 2010 Detroit auto shows and the A1 e-tron extended-range plug-in (left) unveiled last week at the Geneva Auto Show.


Michael Dick, Audi's technology chief, told a German magazine in an interview at the Geneva show that while the automaker's management board hasn't made a decision on the A1-based EV, it is likely that it will be approved for production.



He told Automobilwoche magazine that it would require a three-year development period to bring it into retail readiness and that if other cars are developed in the e-tron range - as planned - sales of the electric-drive models could account for 5 percent of Audi's global sales by 2020.

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E-tron sports car concept shown at Detroit Auto Show in January.
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We hope some of the more affordable ones, not just the high-end sports car models - will make their way to the U.S., although most automakers believe Europe is a better market for small electric vehicles because of typically shorter driving distances and a broader acceptance of small vehicles there.

Tags: Audi, Plug-ins and Electric, Audi, E Tron, EVs

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Audi Sees 5 Percent of its New Cars as Electric-Drive Models by 2020 was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.