Audi unveiled the electric-powered
Audi e-tron quattro concept at the Frankfurt International Motor Show 2015. It
has a range of more than 500 km for full everyday usability. The new concept
combines aerodynamics and creative design solutions. The car has a flow-enhanced
design with a drag coefficient of 0.25 and a powerful, all-electric e-tron
quattro drive with up to 370 kW.
The car is the company’s
statement about the future of electric mobility: It is sporty, efficient and
suitable for everyday use. “Audi will present an all-electric, luxury-class
sport SUV in early 2018. The Audi e-tron quattro concept provides a concrete
foretaste of this,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Audi Board
of Management for Technical Development, adding that “It combines driving
pleasure with great range, an expressive design and excellent comfort.”
Electric power
The Audi e-tron quattro
concept uses the power of three electric motors: One electric motor drives the
front axle, the two others act on the rear axle. Total output is 320 kW. The
driver can even mobilise 370 kW and over 800 Nm (590.0 lb-ft) of torque
temporarily while boosting. The concept study thus performs like a sports car.
When the driver floors the right pedal, the Audi e-tron quattro concept sprints
from a standstill to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.6 seconds and quickly reaches the
electronically governed top speed of 210 km/h (130.5 mph).
The concept with three
electric motors which Audi is presenting for the first time makes the
technology study an e-tron quattro. An intelligent drive management system
controls the interplay between them as appropriate for the situation. The focus
here is on the greatest possible efficiency. The driver decides on the degree
of recuperation, the driving program S or D and the mode of the Audi drive
select system.
During sporty driving on a
winding road, the Torque Control Manager actively distributes the power between
the rear wheels as necessary. This torque vectoring provides for maximum
dynamics and stability.
The large lithium-ion battery
is integrated into the floor of the passenger compartment. It gives the Audi
e-tron quattro concept a balanced axle load distribution and a low center of
gravity – prerequisites for its dynamic handling. The battery’s capacity of 95
kWh enables a range of more than 500 kilometers (310.7 mi). The Combined
Charging System (CCS) enables charging with DC or AC electrical current. A full
charge with DC electrical current at a charging column with an output of 150 kW
takes just around 50 minutes. As an alternative, the study is equipped with
Audi Wireless Charging technology for contactless induction charging. The
charging process is very convenient. The Audi e-tron quattro concept uses a
system for piloted parking that guides it to the proper position at the
charging plate. In addition, a large solar roof provides electricity for the
drive system battery on sunny days.
The chassis also expresses the
high-tech character of the concept study. The adaptive air suspension sport,
which features controlled damping, lowers the body at higher speeds to reduce
drag. The dynamic-all-wheel steering combines a dynamic steering system on the
front axle with a steering system for the rear wheels. Depending on speed and
the driving situation, they steer either opposite or in the same direction as
the front wheels. The Audi e-tron quattro concept thus reacts even more
spontaneously and stably, and is also very manoeuvrable at low speeds.
Aerodynamic:
The exterior design
The Audi e-tron quattro
concept harmoniously combines the design with the aerodynamics and all-electric
drive system. The five-door technology study is 4.88 meters (16.0 ft) long,
1.93 meters (6.3 ft) wide and just 1.54 meters (5.1 ft) high. Its coupe-like
silhouette with the extremely flat greenhouse that tapers strongly toward the
rear lends it a very dynamic appearance. The car’s drag coefficient measures
just 0.25 – a new best for the SUV segment, where figures are usually
considerably over 0.30.
All of this contributes
considerably to the long range of more than 500 kilometers (310.7 miles). At
speeds from 80 km/h (49.7 mi), electrically actuated aerodynamic elements on
the engine hood, the flanks and at the rear end direct the flow of air as
needed to improve the flow through and around the vehicle. This is one example
of the intensive development work in the wind tunnel. Wind noise is low on
board the car, and there are no engine noises in an electric car in any case.
The fascination of electric driving unfolds in near total silence.
The vertical separating edges
on the side panels and the fully enclosed floor pan with its newly designed
microstructures contribute to reducing drag. Cameras replace the exterior
mirrors – another contribution to the excellent aerodynamics and also a
foretaste of the future of driving.
All the main lighting
functions at the front of the car use Matrix laser technology. The bottom
section houses a new, distinctive lighting signature comprising five lighting
elements. Each of these combines an LED luminary with an extremely flat OLED
element (organic light-emitting diode). Audi is developing Matrix OLED
technology for use in production vehicles and is showing it for the first time
in the concept study at the IAA.
The rear lights also comprise
two sections. Each of the top zones features nine red OLED units for the tail
light function, with three more below.
Deep
integration: The interior
The package of the Audi e-tron
quattro concept enables a spacious, comfortable interior for four persons and
615 liters (21.7 cu ft) of luggage. The interior has a light and open feel to
it; its architecture melds harmoniously with the operating and display concept.
All displays in the interior use OLED technology. The extremely thin films can
be cut to any desired shape.
The new Audi virtual cockpit
curved OLED is a further development of the Audi virtual cockpit that debuted
in production vehicles in 2014. To the left and right below the fully-digital
instrument cluster are two touch displays with black glass and a subtle
aluminum frame. The driver controls the lights and the systems for piloted
driving with the left display. The large display on the right is for media and
navigation management. The steering wheel serves as an alternate control level.
Its spokes are equipped with contoured touch surfaces.
Below the selector lever on
the center tunnel console are two more OLED displays for the drive system
status, climate control and freely programmable information functions. The
curved displays in the front section of the doors serve as digital exterior
mirrors.
The two rear passengers sit on
comfortable individual seats. They can use the OLED displays on the center
console to configure the climate control and infotainment for their area or to
exchange data with the driver. An LTE module connects the Audi e-tron quattro
concept with the Internet. The connectivity features in the study are cutting
edge.
The zFAS: Nerve center for piloted driving
The concept study is equipped
with all the technologies that Audi has developed for piloted driving: radar
sensors, a video camera, ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner. The data these
supply come together in the central driver assistance controller (zFAS) in the
luggage compartment. It computes a complete model of the car’s surroundings in
real time and makes this information available to all assistance systems and
the systems for piloted driving. These technologies are also nearly ready for
use in production vehicles.
Source: Audi AG