Audi is one of the very few automakers to now put out a firm aspirational target for electric-drive vehicle sales. Volvo had earlier said it expects 10% of its total sales to be electrified by 2020. (Earlier post.)

We believe the era of electric driving has come to a very defining moment. A time when the cost of batteries is falling from a very daunting $1,000 a kWh in 2007 to nearly one-tenth as much by the next decade. Now is the time to make electric driving more available to mainstream. To take it beyond good enough or a novelty for early adopters or merely a toy for the extremely affluent. This is a statement we intend to share nationwide. With the A3 S e-tron launching this year we are aiming to create a new generation of electric converts. This PHEV will attract many newcomers to electrification one they see how the tech fits the rhythm of their daily lives. The A3 e-tron is a true and proper Audi. This will encourage more people to go electric in terms that feel familiar with smooth and inspiring performance. This is what convinces car buyers to make the leap. Thats why we are confident that A3 e-tron is an exciting initial step in a successful long-term strategy.

This is only our first step. Soon we will confirm plans to introduce more plug-in hybrids including a Q7 e-tron all leading up to the production version of this stunning concept, the Audi e-tron quattro. This is the first fully electric Audi conceived with the US in mind.

We expect the production version of the Audi e-tron quattro concept to be the most reasonably priced premium electric SUV when it arrives. as a true long range electric vehicle,, this this suv will need a nationwide charging network so Audi is now developing pre launch plans to give our owners access to a nationwide 150 kW fast charging network.

Clearly, all of this represents a very big investment. We see it as a total commitment. We expect that e-tron models will become 25% of our sales mix over the next decade. For Audi, this moment will stand as a true pivot point for our brand, one we have been preparing for years. The electric driving revolution isn’t impossible, it isn’t just likely, it is absolutely inevitable.

—Scott Keogh

The A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid is the first volume-oriented electrified vehicle from a traditional automaker to be available nationwide at launch.