Two-seat downtown cruiser.
When it comes to fuel efficiency, Audi has traditionally utilized diesel technology. After all, it won Le Mans five times with the TDI powerplants. But the German automaker is looking to extend that success to electric cars, with the new eAudi Urban Concept.
The new Audi Urban Concept car is a technical study into green urban transportation. It doesn’t fall into any classification of automobile. It’s kind of a coupe, but not a sports car, not really a hatchback, and definitely not an SUV or truck. Microcar? Maybe. If anything, it looks like a sporty, closed-cockpit, golf cart minus the luggage area and lack of doors. But that’s the fun part of it. It’s not a conventional car. It incorporates a lightweight construction with a sleek, sporty body, and an electric powertrain.
If you think that you’ve managed to come up with a classification for the Audi Urban Concept, it’s about to change. The dynamic one-door concept has wheels that are free-standing and enclosed in protective covers that house LED light strips. The design is distinctly Audi, yet doesn’t look like any model that has come out of Ingolstadt. It’s a step towards the future for Audi’s design language with innovative and unconventional features and classic lines.
Inside the Audi Urban Concept, designers took a new approach to styling. Instead of the rich and luxurious design that Audi interiors are known for, designers created an ultra-lightweight cockpit with no unnecessary features. There’s room for a driver and a friend with a staggered 1+1 seating arrangement. This allows for the driver to adjust the steering wheel and pedals to their size and allows for extra room. Entering the Urban Concept is unconventional as well. There are no doors, a roof slides up and opens like an aircraft cockpit. The cabin is made from lightweight carbon-reinforced polymer and integrates into the undercarriage of each seat.
The Audi Urban Concept isn’t about sticking your nose in the air thinking you’re better than everyone else because you haven’t used an ounce of fuel on the way to the natural foods store. It’s about fun and sport. Two electric motors power the 21-inch wheels and provide peppy acceleration due to the lightweight construction of the car. Power is stored inside a lithium-ion battery.
The new Audi Urban Concept will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) in September. But what exactly is the new Audi Urban Concept? The next generation of city transportation; a super-subcompact electric car; a green go kart? Heck, it’s a concept; we’ll just leave it at that.
Audi Urban Concept Video
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh5_aZ-E5Kw
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRFBdmjDP48
Audi Urban Concept Gallery
[Source: Audi]
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