Forget the pedals and steering wheel, the future of the car is autonomous and AI. Audi this week made some big announcement at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The German automaker has just revealed to the world its latest creation, the fully autonomous Audi Aicon, and the highly automated Audi Elaine Concept vehicles.
According to Autoblog, the German company has revealed its latest salvo in the automotive world. The Audi Aicon Concept is an all-electric, autonomous luxury vehicle that can reach up to 500 miles on a single charge. The new concept car features four doors but has no pedals or steering wheel.
The new concept car promises a luxurious autonomous experience, which combines the ambiance of a first-class airline cabin with innovations relating to the suspension, drivetrain, digital technology, and sustainability.
What to expect from the newly revealed Aicon concept vehicle
The Audi Aicon, which AI stands for artificial intelligence concept, features a four-door lozenge-shaped vehicle seats along with a long expanse of glass that makes for a bright car interior. At 214.3 inches long, 82.7 inches wide and 59.3 inches high, the Aicon is significantly larger than the company’s flagship luxury sedan, the Audi A8. The Audi Aicon is so big, that the massive 26-inches wheels actually look appropriate for the new concept car.
Interestingly, Audi brings something new here, trying to introduce us to the world of artificial intelligence or AI. Since the AI in full control, there’s no longer need for seatbelts, airbags and other safety equipment.
As for the powertrain, Audi’s concept car employs four electric motors, two in front and two at the back.
All in all, these provide a total of 349 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. That kind of setting allows the Aicon to travel long distances, at a constant speed of around 80 miles per hour.
The fully autonomous concept car also features some conceptual solid-state batteries that are located below the car’s floor. Audi claims that the car’s battery can be charged to 80 percent of its solid-state battery’s capacity in less than 30 minutes, using an ultra fast 800-watt charging system.
The Aicon concept car has no conventional headlights, instead, it uses animations to warn pedestrians and can project signals onto the road ahead of the corner. There’s no longer need for long-range headlamps, Audi said the Aicon will be fully equipped with laser and radar sensors can see reliably far ahead.
As mentioned earlier by Car and Driver, the concept car also features a version of the Personal Intelligent Assistant, which offers voice control. and other advanced features. Watch the video below to learn more about the new Aicon.
Meet the new Audi Elaine Concept vehicle
Audi Aicon is not the only vehicle that the company has revealed at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The German-based automaker also introduced the new Audi Elaine, a highly automated concept vehicle.
The newly revealed concept car also features an all-electric powertrain system. But unlike the Aicon, Elaine has only three electric motors, one on the front wheels and two on the rear wheels. The car is capable of delivering 429 horsepower and a speed of 62 miles per hour.
Audi claims that Elaine offers a much more advanced version of the zFAS controller, which used in the Audi A8’ s Traffic Jam Pilot that allow pilot-free driving for up to 81 miles per hour. That advanced version of the automated system also includes the ability to initiate lane changes. Additionally, the concept car also includes vehicle-to-infrastructure technology (V2X), which can be used to boost the car’s safety systems, the Car and Driver reported.
