Audi has announced it will put 20 electric A1 e-trons on the streets of Munich by mid-2011.
The joint venture with energy company E.ON, Munich utility company Stadtwerke and the Technical University of Munich will also see 200 electric 'filling' stations erected.
The two energy companies will be responsible for setting up the infrastructure, which will initially involve 100 recharging points that utilise 'renewable energies'. The university will gather data on e-tron usage.
The A1 e-tron, then, will go to 20 'real world' trial participants as Audi becomes the latest manufacturer to indulge in an electric car feasibility study.
The car is powered by a lithium ion battery pack feeding a 102hp electric motor that allows an 130km/h top speed. It's an electric car of the 'range extender' type, because it has a small wankel-type petrol engine that can recharge the battery on the go.
Fully charged, the A1 e-tron will run about 48 kilometres in city traffic, with its range extended to 240 kilometres if the petrol motor kicks in. Audi says that its overall consumption and emissions, according to the current standard that measures range extenders, are 1.9 litres/100km and 45g/km.
Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler said: "we are trying to find a concept that requires no compromises. We hope that this fleet trial will enable us to gain broad insights into the behaviour but also the expectations of our customers regarding their dealings with electric cars."
The e-tron coupé that debuted at Frankfurt 2009 is still on the cards too. Audi says it should enter production by the end of 2012.
In the meantime, Audi will launch the S1 at the Paris Motor Show. Short of officially confirming the car's attendance, Audi has listed the car on the show's website. It's expected to have 180hp from a 1.4-litre turbocharged TSI engine.