OK, OK, it’s not a truck – and of course that’s what I am supposed to be writing about.
But Audi’s just-revealed all-electric car – dubbed an “urban concept” vehicle – deserves a look, even from truck-focused guys like myself.
Audi’s urban concept is a 1+1-seat ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The neat part thing is that it combines elements of a racing car and “fun” car with the practicalities of an urban transport vehicle to craft what the company believes is a “radical” new concept.
In addition to a Sportback model, Audi is also presenting a Spyder variant of it (a more “sport car” look, for lack of a better term) though the company stressed this urban concept is not based off any previous model it’s built
Rather, its development is solely oriented on the strict principles of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction, resulting in a concept car with no unnecessary weight.
For starters, the urban concept’s 21-in. diameter wheels are freestanding, with the surrounding protective plates featuring blinking strips of LED [light emitting diode] lights to give it a little extra pizzazz.
The car offers room for two people, their positions slightly staggered, with a low, continuous window area and doors that open diagonally to the top – almost like a fighter plane cockpit.
Audi added that material used to build the cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats.
Finally, two so-called "e-tron" electric motors provide propulsion for the vehicle, with lithium-ion batteries supplying the energy, though no driving range for this car is being revealed as of yet.
All in all, though, it’s a pretty sharp looking little EV if you ask me. The question is, can Audi turn it into an affordable EV that’s practical enough in terms of range and driving characteristics that will encourage motorists to buy one. That’s the real trick, of course.
