The Audi Activesphere concept: Unorthodox in automation

Audi has recently announced a new vehicle concept which can be perhaps one of the more unorthodox vehicles in terms of shape and utility. Audi's sphere concepts have always been a conversation piece, such as the Skysphere Roadster and UrbanSphere just to name a few. With the immense versatility of the body design and cutting-edge technology packed inside, Audi seems to spew new competition-bending traditional car designs. Here's a quick look at Audi's new experimental yet innovative vehicle concept. 

Exterior

There are a lot of things the Activesphere does. On the outside, the Acivesphere has an SUV-esque design with a steep roofline which makes it look like a fastback coupe. It also integrates a pickup truck-like bed where there is also a tailgate attached at the back. Furthermore, The lower section folds down exactly like a pickup truck, where the rear glass also slides up to reveal enough space where a pair of bikes can be stored.

In terms of size, the Audi Activesphere spans about 4.93 m in terms of longitude and about 2.07 m in width. Being 1.3 m long, it almost resembles an Audi Q8 in terms of length. When it comes to the front fascia, on either side of the steeple we see a rather muted design. The headlights are like slits with curved DRLs inside, which Audi says comes with two-piece holographic HIDs, which at a glance, look like pupils. At the rear, the thin tail lights use ultra-fine micro LED technology. 

Interior

When it comes to the interior where scissor doors opening on either side welcome the driver and passengers, the Activesphere redefines infotainment and the cabin as a whole in hindsight. For starters, the interior has no screens - not even a speedometer cluster, making it clean and minimal. Everything is controlled in terms of holograms and hand gestures backed with augmented reality. Audi provides four sunglasses-like headsets for access to augmented reality functions. When it comes to driving the car in autonomous mode, the steering and pedals disappear - giving a large, clean dash, with practically nothing.

Specifications

The Audi Activesphere is a complete EV with the latest PPE (Premium Platform Electric) technology from Audi, packed with a 100 kWh battery. The battery can be fast charged with 800 V chargers which can charge the car from 0 to 80 percent in nearly 25 minutes. With slow chargers, the battery can split into two and charge simultaneously for faster charging, which is enabled with the PPE technology. Other than that, the Activesphere pushes nearly about 370 kW of power along with 720 Nm of torque which is plenty from the two motors present in it.

Verdict

The Audi Sphere concepts in general show us what to expect when it comes to cars in the near future. Since cars are starting to come out of the traditional designs, which mostly favoured cooling for the engine with aerodynamics in mind, electric motors have made possible more ways of shaping 4-wheelers due to fewer restrictions, and it goes to show whether we like it or not, the foreseeable future is electric.