Designers and engineers have created the car for use in traffic of Chinese megacities. But it's just as applicable to other big cities of the world.
In such urban settings, personal space is in particularly short supply and Audi wants to change that.
It said its concept car offers the largest interior space of any Audi to date. In addition, it intelligently coordinates this with technologies and digital services that appeal to all the senses and thus offer a new quality of experience.
The development process took place in close collaboration between Audi’s design studios in Beijing and its headquarters in Ingolstadt. For the first time, potential customers in China also took part, contributing their own desires and experiences to the development process in a co-creation process.
The result of this process can be seen in the Audi urbansphere concept, above all in the interior.
The cabin becomes a lounge on wheels and mobile office – turning the vehicle into a third living space during the hours spent in traffic.
The Audi urbansphere combines the luxury of complete privacy with a comprehensive range of high-tech features on board, even during the daily rush hour. Level 4 automated driving technology transforms the interior without a steering wheel, pedals, or displays into a mobile interactive space that opens up to the offerings of a comprehensive digital ecosystem.
Audi skysphere, Audi grandsphere, and Audi urbansphere are the three concept cars that the German automaker is using to showcase its vision of the premium mobility of tomorrow.
It wants to create a vehicle experience that transforms a car from being a utility tool to get from one place to another.
What the three concept cars have in common is the ability to drive in a level 4 autonomous vehicle. This is a technology that Audi is working towards introducing in the second half of the decade together with CARIAD, the Volkswagen Group’s software think tank.
The Audi urbansphere concept is designed from the inside out around its passengers. Consequently, the most important dimension for passengers is the unrivalled wheelbase of 3,400mm. It's 5,510mm long, 2,010mm wide, and 1,780mm tall, putting it in a class of its own.
The Audi urbansphere not only frees the driver from the burden of driving whenever possible, but at the same time offers everyone on board a wide variety of options to use this freedom to enjoy customisable experiences – communication or relaxation, work, or a retreat into a private sphere when desired.
The vehicle also takes care of everyday tasks that go beyond the ride itself – such as making dinner reservations or shopping online from the car. In addition, the autonomous Audi urbansphere concept picks up its passengers at home and independently takes care of finding a parking space and charging the battery.
The doors of the Audi urbansphere concept are counter-hinged at the front and the rear; there is no B-pillar. As a result, the whole world of the interior opens up to passengers as soon as they climb in. Seats that swivel outward and a red carpet of light projected onto the ground next to the vehicle transform the simple act of entering the car into an experience of comfort.
Four individual seats in two rows offer passengers luxurious first-class comfort. The seats in the rear offer particularly generous dimensions and a wide range of adjustment options.
The seats also cater to the changing social needs of passengers in a variety of ways. While conversing, passengers can turn to face each other on their swivelling seats.
On the other hand, those who want some seclusion can conceal their head area from the person next to them using a privacy screen mounted behind the headrest. In addition, each seat has its own sound zone with speakers in the headrest area. Individual monitors are also built into the backs of the front seats.
The steering wheel, pedals, and conventional dashboard can be hidden during automated driving.
Many of the materials in the interior of the Audi urbansphere concept are derived from sustainable wood and recycled materials.
The front end features an innovative interpretation of the Singleframe that defines Audi’s look – it is shaped like a large octagon. Even though the grille has lost its original function as an air intake on the EV, it still remains prominent as an unmistakable signature of the brand.
A special tribute to China, is a luminous accessory that passengers can take with them when they leave their Audi urbansphere – the Audi Light Umbrella, a self-illuminating umbrella. Inspired by traditional Chinese umbrellas, this one acts as a protective companion and multifunctional light source – the inner skin of the umbrella is made of reflective material, so the entire surface acts as a glare-free lighting unit.
The technology platform of the Audi urbansphere – the Premium Platform Electric or PPE – was designed exclusively for battery-electric drive systems.
The key element of the PPE is a battery module between the axles, which – as in the Audi grandsphere –holds around 120 kWh of energy. Audi has succeeded in achieving a flat layout for the battery by using almost the entire base of the vehicle between the axles.
Together with the large 24-inch wheels, the core benefits include a long interior and therefore legroom in both rows of seats. Additionally, the absence of a gearbox cover and a cardan tunnel increases spatial comfort in electric cars.
The Audi urbansphere concept’s two electric motors - to create a car with quattro permanent four-wheel drive - are capable of delivering a total output of 295 kW/401 PS and a system torque of 690Nm.
The concept car has one electric motor each on the front and rear axles which, by means of electronic coordination, implement the permanently available all-wheel drive as required and, above all, with a view to economy and range. An innovative feature is that the motor on the front axle can be deactivated as required in order to reduce friction and thus energy consumption when coasting.
The heart of the drive system is the 800-volt charging technology. It ensures that the battery can be charged with up to 270 kW at fast-charging stations in the shortest possible time.
As such, charging times are approaching those of a conventional stop to refuel a car powered by an internal combustion engine, as just 10 minutes are enough to charge the battery to a level sufficient to power the car more than 300km.
In addition, the battery, which holds more than 120 kWh, can be charged from 5 to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. This means that a range of up to 750km (WLTP) can be expected.
The Audi urbansphere concept, like its closest relative the grandsphere, features Audi adaptive air suspension – a single-chamber air suspension with semi-active damper control.
Audi claims it offers outstanding comfort on city highways and also on patchy roads with minimal body movement.
The front wheels are connected via a five-link axle that has been specially tuned for electric vehicles. In the rear, there is a multi-link axle that, like the front, is made of lightweight aluminium. Despite the long 3,400mm wheelbase, the steerable rear wheels is said to provide excellent manoeuvrability.
