Audi at tech forefront, integrating into everyday life

Audi AG is consolidating its leading position in key areas of localizing future technologies in China, by persistently delivering the latest innovations and forward-looking technologies to meet China's evolving demands.

The premium-car maker's critical targets are to contribute to a better environment with zero-emissions cars, to protect client's precious time with piloted driving, and to create a digital customer journey. The answer to these goals lies in the cars' lighting, piloted driving, electrification and connectivity.

Lighting technologies

Audi's award-winning lighting technologies are the exterior presentation of its very DNA. The technologies have been lighting the way to the future, with the epoch-making matrix LED, future-ready matrix laser and organic LED.

Matrix LED headlights demonstrate Audi's leadership role in automotive lighting technology. They provide excellent road illumination in any conditions, while avoiding causing glare to oncoming traffic. The high-beam light comprises a series of small LED sets; for example, the Audi Q7 has 30 in each headlight, which emit light through lenses or reflectors.

The pupils of the matrixlaser headlights are formed by a projection lens with a laser light source, which generates a matrix illuminating the entire street. Set just beneath, five lenses lighted via a glass fiber bundle are mounted to a lightweight structure and further extend the high-beam light.

With the new OLED lights, Audi has made further progress in automotive lighting technology. This innovation enables lighting uniformity and allows creative freedom in the design. Production of OLED rear lights is underway, after being displayed in Audi's e-tron quattro concept car at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.

Piloted driving

Audi has refined its piloted driving technology and it is now accurate to millimeters. The company expects to apply this technology to customers' everyday lives in the near future. The progress technologies are developed to bring a more pleasant driving experience, and to boost efficiency and safety in urban traffic.

Next year, Audi will introduce two more piloted driving technologies, including traffic jam assist at up to 65 km/h and remote park assist, with the launch of the All New Audi A8 in 2017.

The Audi A7 piloted driving concept took up the challenge of Beijing's complicated traffic conditions, and navigated itself amid the busy traffic on the East Third Ring Road in November 2015.

Audi e-tron

Without affecting the driving experience, the Audi e-tron reduces the vehicle's reliance on conventional energy sources while providing a perfect occupant experience. The plug-in hybrid technology seamlessly combines combustion engine and electric motor in the breakthrough sustainable mobility solution.

The driver can select four distinct driving modes: electric vehicle, hybrid auto, hybrid hold, and hybrid charge. These modes can fit varied mobility situations for the furtherance of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Audi is expanding the e-tron lineups from the imported A3 e-tron and the Q7 e-tron, to the first localized new energy model, the A6L e-tron, which is tailored for the Chinese market.

Audi connect

A set of Audi connect technologies bring customers, vehicles and infrastructure together into a seamless network. The car helps keep the user connected on the go, like a mobile lounge integrated into everyday life.

Audi connect provides a full range of exclusive infotainment services in China. The online call center is just at one's finger tips, contacting a representative that can help locate and input destinations into the navigation system.

The Audi connect mobile app is designed to provide yet more additional services through a smartphone connected to the car.

Customers can receive lastmile navigation on their smartphones after parking the car, to guide them to their final destination. In addition, destinations selected in the app can be forwarded to the Audi to speed up the process.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/12/2016 page7)