A3 e-tron: First Audi Plug-in Hybrid Now Available at 105 Dealerships in Germany

The A3 e-tron is just as practical as any other A3 Sportback, but its plug-in hybrid drivetrain allows it to emit 35 grams of CO2 per kilometer.  Even if driven on petrol power alone, the A3's engine only produces 104 grams per kilometer. With a fully charged battery and loaded fuel tank, this car is capable of huge cross-country strides, thanks to a range of 940 kilometers (almost 600 miles). Power comes from a combination of 1.4-liter turbo and hybrid tech delivering a combined output of 204 PS. It's quite a powerful motor, more so than any diesel available on the A3, and yet consumption is much lower: 1.5 l/100km (156.8 US mpg)(156.8 US mpg)… theoretically.

The powertrain is so sporty that Volkswagen uses it on the Golf GTE, which they market as a sister model to the GTI. If it's good enough for a hot Golf, it's got to be better than an Opel Ampera.

In order to prepare for its first-ever car with a socket, all the dealerships that sell the A3 e-tron will receive a charging station which customers can use even after the purchase. 2,000 sales, service and used car employees from all over Europe are currently being re-trained in the ways of the electric car at a training center next to Munich.

Audi even seems to have invented its own brand of electricity, called "Audi energy", provided to A3 e-tron customers from sustainable, emissions-free sources. All electricity all comes from hydroelectric power stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

“For Audi, the A3 Sportback e-tron marks another important step toward sustainable individual mobility,” states Wayne Griffiths, Head of Sales Germany at AUDI AG. “Our dealers have had an entirely positive response to the A3 Sportback e-tron, which shows that the combination of efficient drive technology and a sustainable energy source is really what the market is looking for.”