New Audi A8 to drive itself
Audi have revealed some of the revolutionary new tech that will be utilized in the next-generation Audi A8 saloon when it arrives in 2017.
The German carmakers new flagship saloon will include Audi’s piloted driving autonomous car tech, gesture control, and organic LED lighting ensuring it becomes the technological platform it needs to be to take on rival luxury saloon cars on the market. The new A8 will also be the first model from Audi to feature the brand’s new design language as showcased by the Audi Prologue concept at the LA Motor Show last year.
The new luxury saloon will apparently drive itself using innovative piloted driving technology.
Long-range radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors, laser scanners and hi-resolution video cameras will constantly monitor the car’s surroundings, with the system also able to guide a car safely through traffic jams at up to speeds of 37mph. Audi believes up to 90% of all innovation in the automotive sector will come from electronics, with lighting playing a significant part. Matrix LED technology is still relatively new but Audi is already working to progress things in terms of in car gesture controls. In-car operations such as adjusting the temperate, answering incoming calls and switching between radio stations will be moved from button operation to gesture control.
A plug-in hybrid version under Audi’s e-tron strategy is also certain, with the brand committing to having a plug-in hybrid model in each of its model ranges.
