Unveiled at the TED2012 engineering conference in Long Beach, California, the A3 e-tron offers a fully electric range of 90 miles and 199lb-ft torque from its motor. Audi said the powertrain has resulted in no loss of interior or boot space.

The fleet will be deployed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Denver, where drivers and telematics systems will provide feedback on usage to Audi engineers in Germany and the United States.

Aiming to gain a picture of how different electromobility solutions work, the carmaker is also trialling a range-extended A1 e-tron electric vehicle in Munich. The project forms part of a large-scale research and development investment in hybrid and electric drive, announced in January.

Johan de Nysschen, president, Audi of America, explained: ‘As part of the long-range Audi corporate goal of moving toward CO2-neutral mobility, there will be e-tron plug-in vehicle products exhibiting all of the performance and design attributes Audi drivers have come to expect.

‘Audi is committed to refining Audi e-tron technology and we expect our plug-in vehicles to become a significant choice for our buyers within a growing line of advanced, efficient Audi powertrains over the coming years.’