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Audi urbansphere concept – Space Glider for the Megacity
With great anticipation, Audi's interpretation of an upper-class vehicle for urban traffic in the world's major cities was awaited. All the more surprising was the statement at the beginning of the presentation of the Audi urbansphere:
“We have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is: we cannot present the vehicle live, it is in China. The good news: we have great films and experts on site.”
The presentation of the concept car was supposed to take place as part of the Auto Show in Beijing. However, all schedules there have been rendered obsolete by the strict COVID-19 measures of the Chinese government. The car manufacturer from Ingolstadt decided against postponing the presentation – and thus accepted the fact that no "real" vehicle could be presented.
Great films and the experts including Brand Strategy Manager Silke Guse, designers Christian Becker and Florian Liese, and PR Manager Josef Schlossmacher introduced the urbansphere.
Mobility for China's Megacities
Designers and technicians initially conceived the Audi urbansphere for traffic in China's megacities. For the first time, potential customers in China participated in the development process, contributing their own desires and experiences to the creation.
“In order to meet the mobility needs of our Chinese customers, the Audi design studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt developed the Audi urbansphere concept together in close collaboration,” explains Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management Audi AG and responsible for the China market.
Design Development from Inside Out
According to Audi, the core of the “sphere” concept vehicles is always the interior space. The interior is intended to be perceived as a living space and experiential sphere. Audi sees this as a revaluation of the design process. The needs and desires develop the space, from which the package, exterior lines and proportions are then designed.
According to the Audi design team, the urbansphere was consistently designed from the inside out, around its passengers. A wheelbase of 3.40 meters and a vehicle width of 2.01 meters outline a base area more than stately, even for a luxury car. Together with the generous vehicle height of 1.78 meters and expansive glass surfaces, these dimensions result in an exceptionally spacious interior experience.
Infinite Spaces
Four individual seats in two rows offer the passengers luxurious first-class comfort. Above all, the seats in the rear row offer generous dimensions and a variety of adjustment options. In the relax and entertain modes, the backrests can recline up to 60 degrees while leg rests simultaneously extend. The centrally positioned armrests integrated into the seat bolsters and their counterparts in the doors are designed to give the passenger a cozy feeling of security. The seats, which rotate outward for easier entry and exit for the rear passengers, also clearly indicate that Audi wants to place the urbansphere in the upper echelon of the automotive segment. A red carpet of light can be projected onto the ground next to the vehicle—allowing each passenger to feel like a movie star on the red carpet when entering and leaving the vehicle.
The open, spacious interior reinforces the impression of an extremely generous amount of space. There are no round instruments or black screens for virtual display concepts to be seen. With a tap of the finger, the displays come to life, projecting onto the wooden surface of the dashboard. The reduction to the essentials becomes particularly evident when driving in Level 4 mode. In automated driving mode, if the steering wheel and pedals are dispensed with, the steering assistance can retract into the dashboard. However, it remains to be seen how compliant with traffic regulations this will be.
Touch Surfaces and Gesture Control
A special control element can be found near the door cutout on the interior trim: the MMI touchless response. When the passengers are in an upright position, far forward in their respective areas, they can use this element haptically with a rotary ring and buttons to select various function menus and click through the individual levels. If the seat back is tilted far back, a combination of eye-tracking and gesture control is used. A sensor directed at the eye detects the direction of gaze when the control unit is to be activated. Passengers then only need to perform analog hand movements—identical to those in haptic operation—without having to lean forward, thus being able to operate the system entirely without touching it.
Control panels are also integrated into the door armrests. Thus, the vehicle always offers the passengers the invisible touch surfaces through an optical cue for their position. In addition, VR glasses can be found in the door armrests to the left and right, which can be used in conjunction with infotainment options—and a large transparent OLED display in cinema format can be swung down from the roof lining.
Audi Light Canvas illuminates the luxury van – Crossover
With its confident dimensions – 5.51 meters in length, 2.01 meters in width, and 1.78 meters in height – the Audi urbansphere plays in the automotive premier league. Despite its considerable size and large 24-inch wheels, the vehicle's body appears rather restrained, thanks to its flowing silhouette. Audi's brand face, the Singleframe grille, is shaped as a large octagon.
The lighting units to the right and left of the Singleframe appear narrow. The actual function as an air intake is obsolete in the urbansphere's e-drive. The front of the Audi is a kind of digital light surface. This lies behind a lightly tinted, transparent visor. The three-dimensional light structure itself is arranged in pixel surfaces. The upper and lower edges of the Singleframe are still made of aluminum, the vertical connections are designed with LEDs as part of the light surface. Thus, the Singleframe serves as a communication surface and dynamic light staging with a clear signal function towards other road users. Audi calls this function "Light Canvas." Driving and high beam lights are realized through light segments in the outer parts of the Singleframe, and there is a similarly functioning Matrix LED surface at the rear.
Portal doors and air suspension
The doors of the Audi urbansphere concept are reverse-hinged, opening from the front and rear; there is no B-pillar. This allows the passengers to experience the full width of the interior even when entering the vehicle. As with many other manufacturers' studies, these portal doors are just a beautiful dream; the vehicle structure would not be stiff enough for series production.
The air suspension, on the other hand, would definitely be ready for series production. The front wheels are connected via a five-link axle specially optimized for electric vehicles. The rear features a multi-link axle, like the front one made from lightweight aluminum. Thanks to steerable rear wheels, maneuverability is ensured despite the long wheelbase of 3.40 meters. The Audi urbansphere concept – similar to its close relative, the grandsphere – uses the Audi adaptive air suspension, a one-chamber air suspension with semi-active damper control. This is designed to offer excellent comfort on all road surfaces.
Vehicle as an "Experience Device"
According to Duesmann, it is no longer the product alone that matters. Audi aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem with services around the car. The Audi urbansphere concept offers all passengers on board a variety of options to use this freedom for individually customizable experiences: communication or relaxation, work or retreat into privacy when desired. Thus, the urbansphere concept car transforms from a mere automobile to an "Experience Device."
"To make e-mobility even more appealing, we think comprehensively and from the customers' needs," explains Markus Duesmann.
With these needs in mind, a multitude of service offerings can be accessed during the current journey. Everyday tasks beyond the drive, such as booking a restaurant visit, can also be handled. Online shopping can be done from the car. Additionally, the automated-driving Audi urbansphere concept will independently pick up its passengers at home and take care of parking and battery charging in the future.
Drive and charging
The technical platform of the Audi urbansphere – known as the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) – is exclusively designed for battery-electric drive. As with the Audi grandsphere, the battery provides 120 kilowatt-hours. Thanks to the long wheelbase, the energy storage can be long and very flat.
The two electric motors of the Audi urbansphere concept generate a total output of over 400 PS (295 kW) and a system torque of 690 Newton meters. The urbansphere is designed for Chinese megacities – where the average achievable speed due to traffic conditions is usually between 20 and 30 km/h. Therefore, there is more than enough power for movement. With one motor on the front and one on the rear axle, the concept car also has all-wheel drive quattro, where the front axle can be deactivated on demand to reduce energy consumption.
The centerpiece of the drive is the 800-volt charging technology. This ensures that the battery can be charged at fast-charging stations with up to 270 kilowatts within a very short time. Within 10 minutes, more than 300 kilometers of driving energy can be "refueled." The charging time from five to 80 percent is stated by the Ingolstadt-based company as less than 25 minutes. According to the WLTP standard, a range of up to 750 kilometers should be possible.
What does that mean?
With the largest interior space of any Audi thus far, Audi aims to counteract the confined personal living spaces in urban areas around the globe. To be fair, it's worth noting that individuals who can afford such a luxury vehicle are likely not suffering from cramped living conditions. Nonetheless, with the urbansphere, Audi has once again introduced an impressive concept vehicle. "Advancement through Technology" is alive and well!
Translated automatically from German.
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