VIENNA, Austria -- Audi plans to launch at least four plug-in hybrid cars as it bets on the technology to counter rival BMW's electric car offensive.
Audi will roll out the A3 Sportback E-tron, its first plug-in hybrid, in Europe this month. U.S. sales are expected to begin in the second or third quarter of 2015, while China deliveries will start in the first or second quarter of next year.
The model will compete with cars such as the battery-powered BMW i3 in a bid to win customers looking for environmentally friendly vehicles.
Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said today the A3 Sportback E-tron will be followed by other plug-in hybrids.
"We strongly believe in plug-in hybrids and we will add a new model each year, beginning with the Q7 next year, followed by the A6 long-wheelbase sedan for China and the A8," Stadler said on the sidelines of the A3 Sportback E-tron's introduction here.
Audi believes plug-in hybrids are the best solution for low-emission vehicles because they don't face the same range constraints as battery-powered vehicles. Plug-in hybrids use a conventional internal combustion engine but can also run on electric power with zero emissions.