Audi’s ambitious plans to dramatically expand its electrified Audi Sport range have been revealed.

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Audi Sport is embracing electrification, planning a range of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles wearing S and RS badges. Autocar reports the upcoming battery-electric e-tron GT will follow Audi’s traditional model structure by offering regular, S and RS models. The e-tron Sportback may also follow suit, according to Audi design boss Andreas Mindt. A fettled version of the regular e-tron SUV has already been spied testing at the Nürburgring.

The R8 e-tron is also expected to return next year, following its discontinuation in 2016 and presaging a rumoured electric-only next-generation model. Audi Sport isn’t just planning RS-badged battery-electric models. It’s also confirmed it’ll introduce RS-badged plug-in hybrid vehicles and Autocar reports one of these is expected to be the next-generation RS4, not due until after 2022. Before then, Audi Sport will introduce the R8 e-tron and the S and RS variants of the e-tron GT. As the e-tron GT uses the Porsche Taycan’s J1 platform, expect outputs to mirror the three-pronged Taycan range.

Volkswagen may choose to give the Porsche some breathing room, however, particularly if the e-tron GT carries a lower price. The e-tron GT concept revealed in 2018 featured two electric motors and a 90kWh battery, with a total system output of 434kW. Electric range was reported as an estimated 400km on the WLTP cycle. That's already more than the base Porsche Taycan 4S, which produces 390kW on overboost when equipped with the standard 79.2kWh battery pack and achieves a range of 407km.

The regular E-Tron GT will commence production this year and Autocar reports the S model will be introduced alongside it, with the RS following a year later. As before, the revived R8 e-tron will be extremely low volume. The 2015-16 model was a made-to-order model and only 100 examples were produced, each with rear-wheel-drive, two electric motors, a 92kWh battery pack, and a total system output of 340kW and 920Nm. Audi Sport isn’t the only performance division of a luxury automaker that’s exploring electrification.

Audi Sport’s planned introduction of electrified models follows the performance division’s introduction of S- and RS-badged SUVs such as the SQ2 and RS Q8. MORE: Audi news, reviews, comparisons and videos