Audi has confirmed that it plans on offering an e-tron version of every car in its lineup by the year 2020. Â The e-tron label applies to the company's range of EVs and plug-in hybrids.
If it meets its ambitious objective, the German automaker predicts that it will be able to sell about 100,000 e-tron-badged cars a year all around the world.  The lineup's main markets will be the United States, Europe and China.
Whether or not Audi manages to successfully launch its e-tron lineup largely depends on how heavily various governments around the world subsidize EVs and plug-in hybrids. Â In the past, Morgan Stanley has predicted that interest in EVs will fade out and that their sales could total just half of expected levels by 2025.
The first member of Audi's e-tron family will be an electric version of the R8 supercar, which is scheduled to hit showrooms before the end of the year. Â Thanks to two electric motors that make 620 lb-ft of torque, the two-seater will be able to sprint from zero to 62 mph in about 4.6 seconds and go on to a top speed of 124 mph.
The all-electric supercar will be followed by an A3 e-tron with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain in 2014. Â A smaller A1 e-tron powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and two electric motors will debut shortly after.
Â
