Unable to choose between a truck and an SUV as your next vehicle?
Audi’s latest activesphere EV concept offers a simple solution. The electric car provides the best of both worlds by serving as a pickup truck and a high-end SUV crossover.
Audi just dropped teasers about its fourth activesphere concept. The concept combines an off-road pickup truck, a luxury SUV, and a sports car into one vehicle. With the touch of a button, the Sportback rear can be transformed into an open cargo bed to accommodate items like camping gear, e-bikes, and other things.
The lower, vertical part of the rear folds horizontally, creating a large cargo space in the “truck” bed, while the clear rear window slides almost level with the roof.
The concept car was designed at Audi Design Studio in Malibu by studio manager Gael Buzyn and his team. The EV is built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture that Audi and Porsche jointly developed. It has a range of more than 372 miles (600 km), 800V fast charging capability, and is intended for use in various vehicle profiles.
Furthermore, the car has autonomous chauffering capabilities, merging the physical and virtual worlds with real-time digital content such as driving status and navigation.
The activesphere is built for offroading, with massive 22-inch wheels and excellent ground clearance. The concept is reminiscent of a sports car, with a traditional flat Audi cabin and spectacular roof arch. The activesphere’s doors, like the grand sphere’s, open in opposite directions.
The interior has four separate seats, a full-length central console, and a roof-mounted console with four AR headsets for the mixed-reality system. The dashboard, steering wheel, and pedals disappear into hidden storage places when the vehicle is in autonomous mode.
Even though Audi’s activesphere includes some promising technology that Volkswagen may use in the future, it is another concept that may never be materialized.
I’m sure there would be a market for an EV that could also serve as an SUV and truck if Audi or Volkswagen were to develop it. But till then, we have to wait and see the concept photos.
