Two or three looks at the concept, which Audi first revealed at last
year’s IAA, are enough to recognize that Audi is in first class on its
path toward the future with the grandsphere concept. The 5.35-meter-long
sedan combines the luxury of a private journey in optimal comfort with
comprehensive experiential offerings. With a wheelbase of 3.19 meters,
it exceeds even the long version of the current Audi A8. Its key to more
freedom is its automated driving at level 4. The grandsphere concept
drives completely autonomously on the autobahn and in parking garages.
The steering wheel, pedals and displays are retractable. The interior,
which was the focus of the design process, transforms into a spacious
experience space, where the passengers can communicate, work or relax.
Quick charging, long range
The technological platform of the Audi grandsphere – the so-called
Premium Platform Electric, or PPE – was exclusively designed for battery
electric drives. The concept’s battery delivers around 120 kWh of energy
– enough for around 750 kilometers of range. Its 800-volt charging
technology allows for a charging performance of 270 kW at quick-charging
stations.
The specifications for the conception, development, and construction of
the Audi grandsphere concept study, which will match the later series
production to about 80 percent, were clear and unambiguous: With people
as the focus, Level 4 automated driving turns the interior into a sphere
of experience and living for passengers. Only then did the designers
turn their attention to the exterior lines and proportions. The front
and rear doors open in opposite directions. In Level 4 driving mode, the
grandsphere concept drives fully autonomously e.g. on the highway or in
a parking garage, and the steering wheel and pedals disappear. This
creates a spacious interior for experience where passengers can
communicate, work, or relax.
Sleek lines
At 5.35 m long, 2 m wide, and 1.39 m high, its dimensions reveal this
sedan as an example of the luxury class automobile. But looking nothing
like a traditional sedan, the study rather calls to mind a four-door GT
with a line that comes straight from the wind tunnel and completely
abstains from decor and superfluous flourishes.
The grandsphere concept is electric
A key element of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) is a battery module
between the axles that supplies some 120 kWh of energy. This gives the
grandsphere concept a range of over 750 kilometers. In less than 25
minutes, the 120 kWh battery charges from 5 to 80 percent. To ensure
passengers ride in comfort, the sedan utilizes Audi air suspension – a
single chamber system with adaptive dampers – and active suspension.
