Audi confirms small electric car

Audi will put an electric city car into production, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has confirmed.

It has already committed to having an electric sports car on sale in limited numbers by 2012, sold under the e-tron moniker.

However, speaking at the launch of the Audi A7 Sportback in Munich, Stadler admitted for the first time that a mass-market supermini was planned.

It is not clear if this will be an electric version of the Audi A1 or a smaller vehicle, already dubbed the Audi Zero, both for its size and place in the product line up, and its mooted tailpipe emissions.

Notably, Audi is not expected to sell a spin off version of the VW Up city car in the same way brand stablemates Skoda and Seat are.

'Almost certainly, yes, we will have a small electric car. It is being investigated,' Stadler told What Car?

'What we then need are customers willing to pay a premium these vehicles demand.'

Stadler predicted it will be 'three to five' years before the market is ready for such a car.

'What is important is that we believe there will be a time when such vehicles are viable,' said Stadler.

'We are a technical company planning technical solutions, but we are also entrepreneurial, so we are planning for a changing market when customers will be ready.

'Then in 10 years time I see a point where we have clean energy too. Then the situation will be perfect.'