The new Urbansphere concept is also the third and final of Audi’s next-generation concept cars, with the others being the Skysphere and Grandsphere.
New Delhi: To showcase its vision for the premium future mobility, German carmaker Audi has recently unveiled the autonomous urbansphere concept car globally.
According to the company, the concept car offers the largest interior space of any Audi to date. It is 5.51 meters (18 feet) long, 2.01 meters (6.6 feet) wide, and 1.78 meters (5.8 feet) high.
The new Urbansphere concept is also the third and final of Audi’s next-generation concept cars, with the others being the Skysphere and Grandsphere.
Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board Management at AUDI AG and responsible for the Chinese market said, “In order to meet the demands of our Chinese customers, Audi’s design studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt worked together closely to jointly develop the Audi urbansphere concept car.”
Audi noted that the technology platform of the concept car – 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 kilowatt hours of energy.
Its two electric motors deliver a total output of 295 kilowatts and a system torque of 690 newton meters. However, the Audi urbansphere is still equipped with permanent quattro four-wheel drive, which is an essential feature for the company’s high-performance models.
The concept car gets a 800 volt charging technology ensuring that the battery can be charged with up to 270 kilowatts at fast-charging stations. Audi claims that just ten minutes are enough to charge the battery to a level sufficient to power the car more than 300 kilometers (186 miles).
The carmaker also said that the battery, which holds more than 120 kilowatt hours, can be charged from 5 to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. This means that a range of up to 750 kilometers (466 miles) can be expected according to the WLTP standard – and even when used for more energy-intensive city and short-distance trips, it is generally possible to avoid making unexpected stops to charge.
The car gets four individual seats in two rows. Audi claims that the spacious automobile serves as a third living space during the time spent in traffic.
According to the company, the vehicle takes care of everyday tasks that go beyond the ride itself, such as making dinner reservations or shopping online from the car.The autonomous Audi urbansphere concept picks up its passengers at home and independently takes care of finding a parking space and charging the battery.
Customized infotainment offerings are available, such as the seamless integration of onboard music and video streaming services. Audi will also offer customers exclusive perks, including access to concerts, cultural events, and sporting events based on their individual preferences, said the company. Also Read:
Dhillon, who had in the beginning of the year exuded confidence of clocking double-digit sales growth in 2022, said the company is maintaining the view despite supply chain challenges, semiconductor shortage, lockdown in China due to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. He expressed hope that the situation would improve in the second half of the year provided but no new challenges come up which is not good for the auto industry.
