Audi activesphere concept¹: Your active lifestyle companion

Following the three concept vehicles Audi skysphere concept¹ (roadster), Audi grandsphere concept¹ (saloon) and Audi urbansphere concept¹ (space concept), Audi is presenting the Audi activesphere concept¹, their fourth all-electric Sphere concept, a representation of how Audi thinks about the future of mobility – in this case it’s tailor-made for an active lifestyle.

Like all Sphere concepts, the Audi activesphere concept¹ gives drivers the choice of driving actively themselves using the steering wheel and pedals, but the vehicle is also capable of automated² driving on suitable terrain.

Much of the Audi activesphere concept¹ is characterised by generously designed glass surfaces that create a link between the interior and its outside surroundings. For example, not only is the coupé roof made of glass, but for the first time the signature Audi single frame is completely transparent, too. In addition, retracted glass surfaces in the lower area of the doors allow unprecedented views, especially off-road, avoiding a separation between the outside world and the interior.

The rear section of the elegant luxury coupé takes the active lifestyle of its clientele into account. The Sportback rear can be transformed into an open cargo bed. To do so, the transparent rear window slides almost flush to the roof of the Audi activesphere concept¹, and the lower vertical segment of the rear folds horizontally to create a pick-up cargo bed for transporting bikes (carriers are already embedded), boards or other sports equipment.

In the pick-up configuration, the interior is closed off with a glass panel behind the rear seats to protect against wind and weather. Naturally, the four spacious seats in the interior remain unaffected by this transformation.

The elegance and sportiness of the Sportback silhouette are retained in this transformation, but also when transporting skis, as the vehicle is equipped with a retractable ski rack. This is integrated flush to the centre of the roof, making it practically invisible. For easy loading of the skis, it can be moved to the lower rear area and lifted back over the roof for transport.

When the Audi activesphere concept¹ switches to off-road mode, the ground clearance of 208 millimetres is increased by 40 millimetres. In addition, the characteristic vertical studs of the metal trim in the front, rear and side areas below the doors are raised to indicate the off-road use in the design as well.

Of course, the Audi activesphere concept¹ does not only demonstrate its off-road suitability in its design, but it also features the electronically controlled Audi quattro all-wheel drive. One electric motor each on the front and rear axles mobilise a total output of 325 kW and a torque of 720 Newton metres, which, as is typical of electric cars, is available from the very first second of driving.

The two electric motors are fed from the traction battery, which is located between the two axles and provides around 100 kWh of energy. With the 800-volt charging technology of the Audi activesphere concept¹, the battery can be charged at fast-charging points with an output of up to 270 kW.

The wheels of the Audi activesphere concept¹ also underline quattro performance: movable segments that are closed for efficient aerodynamics in on-road use will open up for ventilation in off-road use.

With the help of mixed reality glasses³, users can access and interact with virtual controls and content. These are displayed contextually and as needed in the glasses – if the users focuse on the corresponding user interface elements with their eyes, the system recognises their interests and activates the targeted functions. Different levels of detail ensure intuitive operability even with more complex functions. The spatial, gesture-based interaction adapts to the users and reacts in real time with the vehicle and the digital content.

The possibilities of this innovative technology are wide-ranging. In off-road mode, for example, high-resolution 3-D graphics of the topography can be projected into the field of vision of the real landscape, as well as navigation instructions and information about the destination area. The glasses can even be used for sports activities outside the vehicle, like for route guidance on the bike trail, or on ski slopes and in freeride terrain, enabling inspiring experiences for an extraordinary active lifestyle.