Audi plans to enter Hybrid & Electric Vehicle market in India

Audi India is planning to step into the high-potential Electric Vehicle market of the country. The German luxury car maker will be refreshing its entire portfolio in the coming years, with a clear focus on introducing new products in the electric car market. Though which products will make it to Audi's EV portfolio is still a secret, the company would be eyeing Hybrids as well as pure-electric vehicles for its future launches.

The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron could be one of the first few vehicles that Audi introduces into the country. The A3 e-tron is Audi's first ever attempt to make a production-ready plug-in hybrid vehicle. Equipped with a 1.4-litre TFSI engine that develops 150 BHP, the combined power of this engine and electric motor of the A3 Sportback e-tron is rated at 204 BHP. The car can cover a distance of 50 kilometres on pure electric power, while the overall range of the A3 e-tron is 340 kilometres.

Venturing into the EV market will help Audi India to insulate itself from troubles like the recent diesel vehicle ban in Delhi-NCR. Moreover, the Government of India is planning to bring many incentives and benefits to the market that will motivate customers to buy electric vehicles. This can help Audi EVs attract the initial market share.

Currently, the Indian Electric Vehicle segment isn't a crowded marketplace. The budget EV market is dominated by Mahindra (the e2o and the recently launched eVerito), while the luxury market is taped by Toyota (Camry and Prius). As a result, Audi India can aim for being the segment leader in the premium electric vehicle market.

Source: Autocar Professional