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Written by Jack Rix
The race to become the leader in autonomous car tech is well and truly on, and Audi just made it quite clear it plans to be the boss. This is the Aicon concept: a four-door, 2+2, A8-sized, level 5 autonomous concept car that showcases all its ideas for the day when steering wheels become relics. Audi hasn"t put a firm date on when an Aicon will be on your company car list, but reading between the lines, it"ll be a decade at least.Surprise surprise, it"s electric, but moves the game on with four-electric motors (one for each wheel) and a bank of solid state batteries under the floor pan with twice the energy density of lithium-ion. Audi claims a range of 497 miles on a single charge and thanks to an 800v charging system, an 80 per cent top-up in 30 mins either by plugging it in, or via wireless inductive charging. Total outputs are 350bhp and 406lb ft of torque not that you"ll notice or care.With no need for human interference at any point, there"s no need for a steering wheel, pedals or an interior as we know it. Instead there are two sliding and swivelling chairs, a wraparound screen and a supplementary bench seat for any second-class passengers. The doors open Rolls-Royce Phantom stylee, exposing a vast interior for you to kick back and watch a film in, check your e-mails and Twitter feed, take a video call or just catch up on some Zs. Your luggage is swallowed by two boots one at the front, one at the rear with a total capacity of 660-litres.On entering the vehicle, PIA, your "empathetic electronic vehicle assistant" recognises your phone and activates all your personal settings. There"s no need for a seatbelt either, says Audi, given that in a world with "a transportation infrastructure in which autonomously driving automobiles are a given on every street," accidents will be a thing of the past.Pedestrians will be given a fighting chance, too, thanks to infinitely configurable LED panels, called "light fields" front and rear in the place of traditional headlights. "Eyes" either side of the grille will change from wide pupils for a friendlier appearance, to squinting for a more aggressive look. Horizontal stripes of light move up from the bottom of the front end in proportion to how hard the car"s accelerating, while built-in projectors shine signals onto the ground to alert anyone who might not have clocked the car.
Date written: 11 Sep 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 9142
The race to become the leader in autonomous car tech is well and truly on, and Audi just made it quite clear it plans to be the boss. This is the Aicon concept: a four-door, 2+2, A8-sized, level 5 autonomous concept car that showcases all its ideas for the day when steering wheels become relics. Audi hasn"t put a firm date on when an Aicon will be on your company car list, but reading between the lines, it"ll be a decade at least.Surprise surprise, it"s electric, but moves the game on with four-electric motors (one for each wheel) and a bank of solid state batteries under the floor pan with twice the energy density of lithium-ion. Audi claims a range of 497 miles on a single charge and thanks to an 800v charging system, an 80 per cent top-up in 30 mins either by plugging it in, or via wireless inductive charging. Total outputs are 350bhp and 406lb ft of torque not that you"ll notice or care.With no need for human interference at any point, there"s no need for a steering wheel, pedals or an interior as we know it. Instead there are two sliding and swivelling chairs, a wraparound screen and a supplementary bench seat for any second-class passengers. The doors open Rolls-Royce Phantom stylee, exposing a vast interior for you to kick back and watch a film in, check your e-mails and Twitter feed, take a video call or just catch up on some Zs. Your luggage is swallowed by two boots one at the front, one at the rear with a total capacity of 660-litres.On entering the vehicle, PIA, your "empathetic electronic vehicle assistant" recognises your phone and activates all your personal settings. There"s no need for a seatbelt either, says Audi, given that in a world with "a transportation infrastructure in which autonomously driving automobiles are a given on every street," accidents will be a thing of the past.Pedestrians will be given a fighting chance, too, thanks to infinitely configurable LED panels, called "light fields" front and rear in the place of traditional headlights. "Eyes" either side of the grille will change from wide pupils for a friendlier appearance, to squinting for a more aggressive look. Horizontal stripes of light move up from the bottom of the front end in proportion to how hard the car"s accelerating, while built-in projectors shine signals onto the ground to alert anyone who might not have clocked the car.
Date written: 11 Sep 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 9142
