What Are Audi’s Designers Considering?

With the shift away from internal-combustion engines to electrification and the march towards automated and autonomous autos, we’re in probably the most transformative second in automotive historical past. Audi is among the earliest adopters of recent expertise, and as engineering evolves, so does design. Reasonably than creating radically totally different designs for its preliminary e-tron EV choices, Audi opts for extra conventional styling that creates a bridge between the previous and future, however that is solely step one.

We sat down with Oliver Hoffmann, Audi’s chief growth officer, and head of design Marc Lichte in Audi’s Malibu, California, Design Loft to listen to their ideas on Audi’s subsequent steps.

As Lichte factors out, having design studios in each California and Beijing permits designers to attract inspiration from Audi’s most vital markets. There are totally different sensibilities associated to every, however appearances should nonetheless stay unmistakably Audi. As he describes it, “A Coke bottle is recognizable wherever on the earth, however the tastes range barely relying on the area.”

With the appearance of EV structure’s “skateboard” chassis, designers have newfound freedom with fewer of the constraints discovered with internal-combustion drivelines. That is to not say battles between designers and engineers are a factor of the previous. Hoffman quips that there are nonetheless discussions on millimeter scales, often in regard to car peak.

Design expertise can be evolving. Upon coming into the Malibu Design Loft, there is not any scent of clay or markers. All the pieces is now digital and incorporates 3D VR modeling for a extra seamless and environment friendly workflow that spans continents. Consequently, Audi has been creating ideas at a fast tempo.

Reinventing the SUV?

Audi christened the Design Loft final yr with a rollout of the Skysphere variable-wheelbase idea. The “sphere” nomenclature refers back to the inside house, which receives precedence over exterior styling at first. China responded with the Urbansphere minivan-esque car, which supplies us a glimpse of how automated driving will have an effect on interiors because the driver will likely be free of driving duties.

Subsequent up is the forthcoming Activesphere idea, which Lichte says will combine automated driving and symbolize the following massive step in Audi’s design route. He hints that even the definition of an SUV will evolve as autos could have lowered journey heights to maximise aerodynamic efficiencies.

His enthusiasm for this subsequent idea is palpable, and we’re admittedly excited to see how Audi adapts and evolves to this altering panorama. One factor is for certain: the long run will look very totally different.