The new Audi e-tron - Audi's first series production battery-electric vehicle - is a critical piece in the brand's strategy to reduce carbon emissions to null over the coming years. The company has a vested interest in seeing it succeed.

So, to woo potential buyers in the US, Audi has announced it will grant the first 3,000 e-tron buyers in that market free access to solar energy through Arcadia Solar.

Now, Audi and Arcadia aren't going to send anyone out to install solar panels on e-tron customers' roofs; Arcadia is a service that provides solar power access to consumers by connecting them with solar farms in their area, so customers don't have to generate power on-site.

Here's how it works: after signing up, customers pay their energy bills through Arcadia Solar, which calculates how much of their power was provided by solar and applies the resulting savings to their energy bills. Consumers can rest easy knowing they're helping offset some of their own carbon emissions, and they get to save some money in the process. It's a win-win.

The free subscription offer being extended to American Audi e-tron buyers lasts for ten years, covering enough juice to power approximately 2,400 miles of driving annually - equivalent to about one full charge per month.

The free Audi/Arcadia Solar deal is being extended to buyers and lessees alike, covering both new and pre-owned examples of the Audi e-tron, and Arcadia's software works in all 50 states, so customers don't risk losing out on the perk by relocating within the US.

Audi's Mission:Zero is the automaker's push to become carbon-neutral, first with regard to its manufacturing operations by 2025, and later, for the company as a whole by 2050. To that end, Audi estimates its Arcadia Solar program has the potential to offset 22,000 tons of CO2 and 2.3 million gallons of gasoline on its own.