The Audi Activesphere, the fourth in a series of future concepts from Audi, is the most recent model. A four-door crossover coupé with a flexible body design is now debuting, following the Audi Skysphere roadster in 2021, the Audi Grandsphere sedan, and the Audi Urbansphere space concept in April 2022.
The 4.98-meter-long, incredibly attractive vehicle is more than just a luxury sports car; it also boasts outstanding ground clearance and massive 22-inch wheels that signal its off-road prowess. The activesphere's Sportback rear can transform into an open cargo bed (the "active back") at the push of a button, making it ideal for transporting sporting goods.
The Audi Activesphere demonstrates its adaptability by fusing opposites in a seamless synthesis. Its drive system and suspension make it equally adept on and off the road for a thrilling driving experience. It enables autonomous driving for individuals who would like a more leisurely trip. The vehicle, which has classic proportions and lines and is as attractive as it is dynamic, can be converted into a pickup truck with room for two e-bikes in the cargo bed in only a few seconds.
The concept automobile was conceived and created at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu, under the direction of studio manager Gael Buzyn and his crew. The active sphere is distinct. It's a new breed of crossover that deftly combines the sophistication of an Audi Sportback, the usefulness of an SUV, and genuine off-road prowess," claims Gael.
The Audi Activesphere, which has an electric drive and quick-charging technology from Audi's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) modular system, combines the sustainability, dynamics, and long-distance capability of a state-of-the-art electric vehicle with zero local emissions. It has a range of over 600 kilometers.
"The sphere concept vehicles show our vision for the premium mobility of the future," says Oliver Hoffmann, a member of the board of management responsible for technical development, of the concept series. A fundamental shift is taking place, particularly on the inside of our upcoming Audi vehicles. The interior transforms into a space where the passengers may simultaneously connect to the outer world and feel at home. But our use of augmented reality for transportation is the most significant technical advancement in the Audi Activesphere. The seamless synchronization between real-world surroundings and virtual reality is achieved via Audi Dimensions.
Prioritised interior – people-focused
The word "sphere" establishes the mood: it is the generic name for the element of the Audi concepts known as skysphere, grandsphere, urbansphere, and now activesphere. The main design requirements for this new generation of cars are no longer kilograms and kilometers per hour, or lateral acceleration. Instead, the interior, where the occupants live and experience their surroundings, serves as the starting point. The area, the architecture, and the purposes are shaped by their wants and wishes.
That reevaluation alters the design process itself. Every conversation starts off with a discussion of the interior and its design. The exterior's package, proportions, and lines are not designed until after that.
On suitable terrain, the autonomous chauffeuring capacity grants drivers and passengers a new level of independence, which may be put to a variety of uses in the active sphere owing to innovative display and operating technology. Audi Dimensions, a novel operational concept, merges the real and virtual worlds (mixed reality) by displaying digital content in front of the driver and passengers in real time.
Modern headsets show the route and the real environment while also presenting 3D material and interactive components that may be customized for drivers and passengers. This permits the display of all information pertinent to the driver, such as the current location and navigation. And within the headset, users can see neat, minimalist control panels and other virtual displays that are hidden from the naked eye. Because the headsets show and perform tasks by reacting in real time to user touches, mixed reality optics enable users to accurately engage with these real but invisible touch-sensitive zones.
Audi dimensions – traversing worlds
The Audi Activesphere concept excels at bridging barriers, and this power extends to the interface between the vehicle, the user, and the surroundings. The innovative technique creates a new universe called the Audi Dimensions by fusing physical reality and the digital realm for the first time.
Innovative mixed reality headsets, which are available separately for each driver and passenger, are the centerpiece of the new system. While inside the Audi Activesphere, users have access to an extensive digital ecosystem.
The Audi Activesphere idea is the first to employ this cutting-edge generation of technology, adding the dimension of interaction to the dimension of superimposing the actual and virtual worlds. The system projects control surfaces and displays, which are invisible to the human eye, into the user's field of vision while he or she is behind the wheel with remarkable optical precision, the greatest resolution, and superb contrast.
Robust elegance – exterior design
The Audi activesphere concept is the ideal all-arounder for the high expectations of a future-focused generation of Audi customers, people for whom personal mobility and sustainability are not mutually exclusive and who expect their vehicle to deliver the highest level of the brand's signature aesthetics and dynamism, combined with future-oriented technology.
For the first time, an automobile with a sportback hatchback blends the aesthetic and technological features of an all-road vehicle in the active sphere. Audi refers to the new body variation as "active sportback" as opposed to "allroad" for this reason.
PPE – customised drive technology
Audi's most cutting-edge electric drive system, the Premium Platform Electric, or PPE for short, can be used in the Audi Activesphere concept because of its size and level of performance. The Audi Grandsphere and Audi Urbansphere concept cars also use this modular system for series production. Together with Porsche AG, it is being developed under the direction of Audi. Before the end of 2023, successive presentations of the first Audi production vehicles built on PPE will take place.
The PPE is exclusively intended for battery-electric drive systems and can thus fully benefit from all the advantages of this technology, which will improve the driving qualities, economy, and package options of the cars.
Performance and fast charging with 800 volts
The front and rear wheels of the Activesphere are joined by a five-link axle, which also houses the adaptive dampers and air suspension from Audi. The all-wheel drive idea uses electric motors on the front and rear axles to produce a system torque of 720 Newton meters and a combined total output of 325 kW.
The 800-volt charging system, a first for the high-volume mid-range and luxury classes, will be at the center of the drive technology in all future PPE models. This guarantees that the battery, like the one in the Audi e-tron GT quattro before it, can be charged at fast-charging stations with up to 270 kW in a remarkably short amount of time.
PPE technology offers charging periods that are comparable to a typical stop for a combustion engine vehicle's fuel. It only takes ten minutes to gather enough energy to run the car for more than 300 kilometers. The 100 kWh battery charges from 5 to 80% in less than 25 minutes. When necessary, the Audi Activesphere positions itself as being completely suitable for long trips thanks to its range of well over 600 kilometers.
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