An Audi A3 equipped to provide the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance mobility will soon be taking to the roads - but unfortunately, it will not be in the UK.

The A3 Sportback g-tron can be powered by ultra-clean Audi e-gas produced using green electricity, or by compressed natural gas, both of which are available to drivers in Germany, where advance sales of the car have just begun.

The Audi A3 g-tron forms part of a new, integrated and sustainable mobility concept from the Vorsprung durch Technik brand. Its 1.4-litre TFSI engine develops 110 PS and can be operated using either natural gas, e-gas generated by Audi or petrol. In pure e-gas mode the g-tron is entirely CO2-neutral, meaning that customers who use the Audi e-gas fuel card can opt to power their A3 g-tron without impacting on the environment if they wish.

The A3 Sportback g-tron will be priced from 25,900 euros in Germany. Due to the lack of infrastructure required to fully implement natural gas filling stations, there are no plans for Audi to introduce this model in the UK.  

Audi e-gas is a synthetic methane that is produced at the Audi e-gas facility located in Werlte in Lower Saxony, Germany – the world’s first industrial power-to-gas plant. Green electricity is used in the production of Audi e-gas, and the process of generating it actually binds as much CO2 as is released when the Audi A3 g-tron is driven in gas mode, giving it exceptional ecological credentials. 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 euros per 100 kilometres.

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 their 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 euros 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 over 650 fuel stations in Germany.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG, said: "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 already operating a research facility for the production of Audi e-ethanol and e-diesel with its partner Joule in Hobbs, New Mexico. The company is also conducting research into the synthetic manufacture of Audi e-gas in cooperation with Global Bioenergies.