Audi AI: TRAIL the future off-roader is here

Audi AI Trail

Audi AI: Trail a new off-roader concept car

The German automobile manufacturer Audi recently unveiled Audi AI: Trail. Audi AI: Trail is an off-roader visionary vehicle from Audi. Although it’s in the concept-vehicle stage, it significantly showcases the future of mobility.

Audi AI Trail Rear View
Audi AI Trail Rear View

Furthermore, the AI: Trail is a sustainable mobility solution. It’s a four-seater vehicle with automated driving capability. In addition, it has superb off-road driving abilities. The glass surrounding the cabin extends to ground level. Hence, you will have a clear, obstruction-free view of the surroundings.

In addition, the ample battery capacity takes you further in the trail. So, you have a sufficient range. The trail part in the name comes from the idea of exploring nature. No big screens to stream media in the cabin. The basic idea is to enjoy nature in the closest possible way. Thus, you will enjoy the pristine views of nature.

The Vision

Audi is also trying to streamline the owning process in the future. More and more users are not owning the car. Instead, they prefer leasing it. So, in the future, customers can demand any specialist models. They can order from Audi on-demand vehicle pool. Even they can select a car that suits their personal preferences. So, they can simply rent them from a mobile app.

Furthermore, Audi provides a lot of configuration options through the app. The color, interior, and technical options are available at the fingertips. Even you can set up the driver’s preferred temperature, seat adjustment and music library. So, when you enter the vehicle you are all set and ready to roll.

Audi AI: Trail Exteriors

The exteriors at the glance simply showcase its off-road capabilities. The large 22″ wheels with 850mm tires are simply outstanding. The 34cm ground clearance enhances its capability. It can easily wade through the water more than half a meter deep.

Audi AI Trail Exteriors
Audi AI Trail Exteriors

In addition, the above architecture functions well in rough and rocky terrain. The cabin itself has polygonal shapes. The monolithic basic vehicle body blends itself with surroundings.

The protruding ridge halfway up the side window continues to both front and rear. It actually acts as a waistline, uniting the entire body into one. The electric drive system is on the axle. The batteries are in the floor. Hence, no overhangs and attachments to carry battery or motors.

Furthermore, the body of the Audi AI: Trail is a mixture of aluminum, high-tech steel, and carbon fiber. As a result, the total weight of the AI: Trail is just 1750kgs.

All-round visibility

The windshield wraps around the front just like a helicopter. So, passengers get a clear view of the trail in front and at the sides. The clear glass wrapping starts from the front and ends at the rear. Thus, it provides a clear view of the sky and landscape.

Audi AI Trail Cabin
Audi AI Trail Cabin

The tailgate and windshield are openable and provide large space for luggage. The other separate compartment integrates into the rear bumper for materials such as dirty clothes, and shoes, etc.

The side sills act as a running board to load and unload the roof rack. Horizontal fender above four wheels allows seeing suspension in action. The adaptive damper system provides comfort to the occupants. The tires, themselves, contribute to suspension travel. Thus, they provide additional comfort.

The ESP and optical sensors sense the road surface and keep optimum tire pressure. This feature is very helpful to gain traction on various terrains.

The interiors

The interior of Audi AI: Trail is spacious with very few controls. The seat shells at the front have four-point seat belts. The occupant’s attention simply goes to openness to the surrounding.

Interiors
Audi AI Trail Interiors

The smartphone attached to the steering rod acts as a command center. The smartphone simply acts as an element between a vehicle and its surroundings. The designers also utilize recyclable materials like recycled leather and wool for carpets. Furthermore, the second-row seats are detachable. You can use them as outdoor mobile chairs.

AI: Trail and drone lighting

Audi AI: Trail has a self-contained light source; seating below A-piller. These lights can shine both inwards and outwards. These LED’s have dimming capability. So, you use them for interior lighting or use them to illuminate the path. The rear lights work in an exact same way illuminating the rear as well as the storage compartment.

In addition, conventional headlamps are replaced with drones. The Audi AI trail has five rotor drones. They operate on electricity. They are triangular in shape with Matrix LED. These drones are capable to land on the roof for inductive charging.

Furthermore, these Audi Light Pathfiders generate the lift like a bladeless fan. They illuminate the upcoming path replacing headlights. They also have an onboard camera. So, you can directly stream the video output to your smartphone via WiFi.

The drones also have the capability to illuminate surroundings. Specifically, during camping, this functionality is very helpful. Similarly, you can also illuminate interiors as well via the panoramic roof.

The AI: Trail automatically controls all drones. These drones usually fly in a group of two. In addition, you can also illuminate the surroundings as they have the capability to come together in a group of five. The customers can remotely control the drones via smartphone.

Audi Light Companion

The Audi light companion is a mobile light source. It’s like a large flashlight with a range of functions. Generally, it is attached to the front side of the seat. It acts as an ambient light in the cabin. You can take out and keep it with you while camping. It has a large three legs and it acts as a short-range floodlight. The housing can also accommodate cameras.

Lighting
AI Trail Lighting

Furthermore, when you integrate light companion with AI: Trail navigation it shows directions while hiking. It has the capability to project directional symbols helping users navigate easily.

Automated Driving

The Audi AI: Trail has level 4 automation and its limited to designated highways and cities. Level 4 automation needs a suitable infrastructure to work. So, on highways designated for automated driving, you can use Level 4 automation.

Furthermore, the trails sometimes have automation limited to Level 3. Trails often change the dimensions and it is risky to fully automate trail driving. To overcome this problem AI: Trail has robust ESP on board. It takes care of off-road driving. It harnesses data from various sensors and does necessary corrections to improve drive stability.

In addition, onboard electronics help drivers tackle challenging terrains. In difficult situations, the system alerts the driver to avoid dangerous situations. These electronics also help to keep the vehicle on track and within the limits. It is just like lane-keeping assist and cruise control.

The range and performance

The Audi AI: Trail has an impressive range of 400-500kms on roads and easy off-roads. The Trail also has a range of 250kms in constant elevation with rough terrain. These figures are pretty impressive. The max speed it can achieve is 130kmph.

Furthermore, the four electric motors drive the vehicle with a combined output of 320 kilowatts and max torque of 1000 Newton-meters. The system automatically co-ordinates driving stability and traction.

In conclusion, Audi AI: Trail is definitely a future off-roader with great range and capability thanks to Audi.

Image courtesy: Audi

Watch AI Trail in action

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Sushant is an entrepreneur, marketing consultant, and an auto-enthusiastic blogger. He regularly publishes specific articles on the latest happenings in automotive technology. When not writing a blog, he engages in his other ventures or goes on long-distance motorcycle rides. Follow me on Twitter.