DETROIT – Volkswagen says it will bring its first electric car to the United States in two years, “joining an increasingly crowded field of battery-powered vehicles on the market,” reports The New York Times.

The e-Golf model would go on sale in 2015 as part of a broader plan to introduce more alternative-fuel models to the United States, notes the news source, adding that VW realizes other manufacturers have jumped ahead in the EV space.

“We want to be the leader in the global context, but other manufacturers have gotten a little ahead of the curve,” said Marc Trahan, an executive vice president for Volkswagen’s American unit. 

While the U.S. awaits EVs, Volkswagen has seen success with diesel as a fuel-saving alternative to regular gasoline engines. The news source writes that more than 70% of the diesel-powered vehicles sold this year in the United States have been Volkswagens.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said during the Frankfurt auto show that the carmaker is also boosting development of hybrids, plug-ins and electric models.

Trahan, meanwhile, added these new vehicle platforms could be adapted for alternative-fuel variations. “We don’t have to have totally different platforms for hybrid or gas or electric models,” he told the news source. “Whether it’s the Passat or the Beetle, we can react to what the market wants.”