Audi likes concepts. The skysphere electric roadster, its urban proposal of more than 5.51 meters, the urbansphere or the grandsphere, a huge sedan without steering wheel or pedals. Now it is the turn of the activesphere, a bizarre (and to the taste of your server, quite well thought out and executed) crossover with the air of a pick up. A 100% electric designed for autonomous driving, and that is capable of raising its suspension to overcome the most cumbersome terrain.
Now crossover, now Pick Up
The activesphere is the fourth member of the Audi sphere family, electric prototypes that want to trace the future lines of the German company. In this case we are talking about a crossover of almost 5 meters long (4.98m), 2.07 wide and 1.60m high. It has a wheelbase of 2.97 meters, a brutal space designed mainly so that the interior is widely spacious.
On the outside, we are talking about an Audi with a sportback-type design, with huge 22 inch wheelsmobile segments that move to facilitate the cooling of the brake discs, and with a pneumatic suspension that allows the height of the car to be changed.
But the most striking thing at the design level is not the suspension, nor the LED light group, it is its rear part. The rear of this car is capable of being transformed into a huge pick-up-style tray, to transport up to three bicycles, or whatever we want to upload. Thus, it mixes the concept of a day-to-day car that, as soon as it faces more complicated terrain, raises its height to the ground and boasts transport capacity at the same time.
According to Audi, this car would be able to travel 600 kilometers of autonomy, thanks to a 325 kW (442 hp) electric motor, with a torque of 720 Nm. It would be capable of charging in 10 minutes to travel 300 kilometers, or in just under 25 minutes to reach 80% charge. It would need, of course, a charger willing to feed the 800 volt power that this fast charge demands.
Going into even more technological territory, Audi proposes to use this car together with some augmented reality glasses. The objective is that, by activating the autonomous driving mode, in which the steering wheel and part of the center console are hidden, we enjoy a totally immersive experience.
Control the air conditioning controls, manage 3D navigation maps… Audi is also committed to a future in which augmented reality is part of the travel experience. This concept, concept is, and will not see the light of the road. However, it is a basis for the technologies of the future that Audi considers, and that we may begin to see in future cars within not too long.
