Self-driving concept car that changes body length with the push of a button

On August 10, 2021, Audi announced the Skysphere, an autonomous electric vehicle concept model with the ability to switch between two modes by changing the shape and length of the body.

According to Audi’s announcement, the Skysphere adopts a variable wheelbase that can change the body size so that you can enjoy two driving experiences: a grand touring experience and a sports experience. Grand Touring Mode is a mode that aims to provide smooth and comfortable movement and enjoy the view.

Level 4 autonomous driving allows drivers to enjoy driving without a steering wheel. When you press the button in the vehicle, the driving pedal and the steering wheel in the dashboard come out, and it changes to the sport mode. Transformation is not limited to interiors. The car’s overall length has been shortened by 25 cm, from 5.19 m in Grand Touring mode to 4.94 m in Sport mode, resulting in a shorter wheelbase, allowing for more agile movements.

Skysphere supports zero to four seconds through an electric motor boasting 465 kW of power and 750 Nm of torque. The rear end adheres to the balance between performance and appearance by adopting a sophisticated design developed through wind tunnel experiments.

Of course, since the Skysphere is a concept car, the actual release date or time has not been decided. It is unknown whether the folding steering wheel will be able to exceed the regulations, but Audi plans to introduce three concept models in addition to the Skysphere by 2022: the Grandsphere and the Urbansphere. Related information can be found here.