Volkswagen will unveil an electric car this fall that could beat Tesla in one key area

Volkswagen

The new electric car will be about the size of the Volkswagen Golf, pictured above.

Volkswagen will unveil a new electric car in October that could have as much as 372 miles of range.

Volkswagen CEO Hebert Diess told German magazine Wirtschafts Woche that the car will achieve anywhere between 248 to 372 miles of range, Electrek reported. It will be shown off at this year's Paris Motor Show, which occurs October 1-2.

For reference, the longest range for the Tesla Model S is 270 miles, according to EPA standards. There's been a general push by auto companies to increase the range above 300 miles. The Model S may get an upgrade that could increase the range to 380 miles, and Audi, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, is planning to release an electric car in 2018 with an expected range of 310 miles.

The Audi will go into production in 2018 or 2019 and will be about the size of the Volkswagen Golf.

The new car is part of the German automaker's plan to introduce more than 30 electric-powered vehicles by 2025, and to sell two to three million of them a year. The plan was released in response to the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

The Department of Justice found Volkswagen liable for criminal wrongdoing for the emissions scandal Monday. The automaker may face criminal and civil penalties as a result.