Audi's ultra-light Urban Concept will premier at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Taking its etron concept in a new direction, Audi will unveil the new Urban Concept battery car at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The latest in a series of innovative offerings designed to test the limits of high-mileage design, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the carbon fiber prototype is its use of a 1+1 seating arrangement.
Designed for congested urban roads, Audi says the Urban Concept “combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.”
The prototype is assembled out of ultra-light carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, or CFRP, panels; light and strong, many experts believe the material will eventually replace steel if the industry can only figure out how to mass produce it and drive down costs.
The design utilizes offset seating with access through an aircraft-like sliding canopy and tailgate.
The wheels are free-standing and their protective plates feature blinking strips of LEDs.
Inside, the entire cabin can be adjusted to the physical dimensions of the driver, Audi suggesting the cockpit is designed to provide “a completely unique, sensory allure.”
Power for the 21-inch wheels comes from a pair of electric motors shared with the earlier Audi etron concepts. Energy comes from a lithium-ion battery pack which apparently stores enough power for what the maker says would be an “extended city tour.”
The 1+1 concept is loosely reminiscent of the 200 mpg L1 concept unveiled several years ago by Audi’s sibling, the Volkswagen brand.