Advance sales of the Audi A3 g-tron began at dealerships in Germany, at a base price of €25,900 (US$35,400). Its 1.4-liter TFSI engine developing 81 kW (110 hp) can be operated using either natural gas, e-gas generated by Audi or gasoline. In pure e-gas mode, using the Audi e-gas fuel card, the g-tron is CO₂-neutral, Audi says.

The Audi A3 g-tron forms part of a new, integrated sustainable mobility concept from the brand. Audi e-gas is a synthetic methane that is produced using renewable energy at the Audi e-gas facility located in Werlte in Lower Saxony, Germany—the first industrial power-to-gas plant.

The process for generating Audi e-gas using green electricity binds as much CO₂ as is released when the Audi A3 g-tron is driven in gas mode.

On average the Audi A3 g-tron consumes between 3.2 and 3.3 kilograms of gas per 100 kilometers. Fuel costs at present start at around €3.50 (US$4.78) per 100 kilometers.

The buying principle for Audi e-gas is straightforward and corresponds to how green electricity is distributed: Audi records the quantities of gas that the customer pays for using the Audi e-gas fuel card and ensures that exactly this amount of Audi e-gas is fed into the German natural gas network.

Customers who choose this option can obtain an Audi e-gas fuel card for a flat price of €14.95 (US$20.43) per month. In addition, the costs for the quantities of gas refueled by each customer are deducted via the Audi e-gas fuel card. The card can be used to purchase Audi e-gas at more than 650 fuel stations in Germany.

In addition to our e-mobility developments, the Audi e-gas project is an important pillar of our sustainability strategy—as is the development of other synthetic fuels.

Audi is also operating a research facility for the production of Audi e-ethanol and e-diesel with its partner Joule in Hobbs, New Mexico. Moreover, the company is conducting research into the synthetic manufacture of Audi e-gasoline (bio-isooctane) in cooperation with Global Bioenergies.