The entrepreneurial Audi is planning to take advantage of changes portended in the automobile market with an eye towards emission-free vehicles. Until now Audi has not shown any interest in electric car production but now that there is a growing demand for small and electronically-driven cars, Audi is keen to join the race.
Others in the foray:
Rival manufactures like BMW with Megacity electric vehicle and Daimler with Smart ED have already taken the leap with cute little electric cars on their way to produce vehicles with zero carbon emission. Now Audi is joining the arena and the world is keenly interested to see what kind of a car will be Audi’s gift to the automobile world.
Supermini:
A supermini is reportedly the car on the anvil as per a report by What Car? Audi CEO, Rupert Stadler says,”…so we are planning for a changing market when customers will be ready.” Audi is already busy on the electric sports car planned with a limited number release by 2012, to be marketed under the E-tron name.
Audi Zero?
The plan is on for a mass-market electric car – supermini – is very much ongoing as confirmed by CEO Stadler in Munich at the launch of Audi 7 Sportback. Audi’s electric car can either be something similar to A1 e-tron Concept or a smaller platform named ‘Audi Zero’. Audi will not do any spin-off versions like Skoda or Seat had done.
Future plans:
Audi is working on the basis that in about 3-5 years time, market will be ready for such electric cars and that will be the time when these cars will also be viable. In Stadler’s words, “What we then need are customers willing to pay a premium these vehicles demand… We are a technical company planning technical solutions, but we are also entrepreneurial, so we are planning for a changing market… in 10 years time I see a point where we have clean energy too. Then the situation will be perfect.”
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