Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler launches drive to make three electric car models by 2020
Audi's chief executive has said the automobile maker is planning to have three electric car models by 2020.
Rupert Stadler also said the firm is aiming for electric cars to account for up to 30 per cent of its sales by 2025, in an interview published today in German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme.
The firm's push to move into the electric car market is part of a strategic overhaul in the wake of the damaging emissions scandal at its parent company Volkswagen, Reuters reported.
Audi is understood to be looking for joint venture partners, while the company will focus more of its resources on developing digital services, autonomous driving and electric vehicles.
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"This is about a robot car that may not even need a steering wheel or pedals, so it's ideal for urban traffic," Stadler said in the interview.
Audi's drive to build electric cars will take it into territory usually commandeered by Elon Musk's Tesla.
Earlier this week, Musk announced his "Master Plan" for the company, which includes utilising solar power and turning typical gas-guzzling vehicles such as SUVs and pick-up trucks electric
He also plans to shrink buses and design new forms of "high-passenger density urban transport".