Audi’s EV concept is the answer to future traffic woes

Technology is the key to the automotive world and Audi has used the latest technique and design to create the Urbansphere to combat the densely crowded traffic in major Chinese cities. According to Audi, this concept can be a suitable solution in many cosmopolitan cities in the world. This fully autonomous minivan is jointly designed at Audi’s studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt.  

The Urbansphere is part of Audi’s three concepts that aim to showcase the future world of mobility in the premium strata and also enhance the experience in the vehicle. The first concept was the self-driving GT concept, the Skysphere, which made its presence felt in August 2021 and soon after that the four-seater sedan, the Grandsphere concept was unveiled at the IAA 2021.

The Urbansphere is one massive vehicle with overwhelming dimensions of 5.51 metres in length, 2.01 metres in width, and 1.78 metres in height. This makes the EV concept overshadow the long-wheelbase seven-seater Range Rover. Based on Porsche and Audi’s jointly developed dedicated EV platform, PPE Architecture (Premium Platform Electric), the Urbansphere has a wheelbase of 3.4 metres. The advantage of this platform is that this EV can house a 120-kWh battery pack between the axles and an 800V charging system that supports a 270 kilowatts fast charging speed. With this, it can charge 5 to 80 per cent in 25 minutes and offer a range of 750 kilometres.

The Urbansphere gets two electric motors and has an output of 395 bhp (295 kW) with 690 Nm of torque. Audi has also equipped it with a permanent Quattro four-wheel-drive system.

The cabin space is the key to this EV as it’s more like a Yacht on wheels. With four individual seats, it offers multiple seating options. In Relax and Entertain modes, the backrest reclines up to 60 degrees and the footrest extends as well. The front seats can turn around and allow face-to-face conversation with the rear passengers.

If the passengers want to use the infotainment system, a transparent OLED screen vertically rotates from the roof area in between the rows of seats. There is also a split-screen option.

Like the other two concept cars, the Urbansphere is based on level 4 autonomous vehicle technology, which means it can drive by itself with minimal driver inputs. Audi is currently working with CARIAD, Volkswagen Group’s software business, to introduce this technology within the second half of the decade.

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