Audi AI:Trail Quattro Concept Previews Future Emission-Free Off-Roader

Say hello to the new Audi AI:Trail Quattro Concept, which – as weird as it sounds – combines serious off-road capabilities with autonomous functions.

The study takes the shape of a futuristic, buggy-style four-door vehicle with a fully electric powertrain, incorporating four electric motors for a driveshaft-free all-wheel drive. The show car is 13.5-feet (4.15 meters) long, 7.05-feet (2.15 meters) wide, and rides on massive 22-inch wheels with 33.5-inch off-road tires. The ground clearance is 13.4 inches (34 centimeters) and the vehicle should be able to ford through water more than half a meter (1.6 ft) deep.

Thanks to the use of lightweight materials, the AI:Trail Quattro weighs 3,858 pounds (1,750 kilograms), which is a remarkable result considering the four electric motors and the large lithium-ion battery. The latter provides a range of between 248 and 310 miles (400 to 500 kilometers) on roads or "easy off-road terrain" measured by the WLTP. If you go deep off-roading, where energy consumption is higher, the car will be able to cover approximately 155 miles (250 km) at a single charge.

Each of the four electric motors is installed near a wheel and drives it directly. The combined system output is 429 horsepower (320 kilowatts) with a maximum torque of 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters). Audi explains that "usually only a fraction of this power is mobilized," which probably hints at some kind of selective deactivation for one of the axles.

On public roads, the show car should be capable of Level 4 autonomous driving, which is the second-highest level on the standardized international scale for increasing automation. For off-road adventures, the AI:Trail Quattro offers traditional steering wheel and pedals but still "automated driving in the reduced-speed Level 3 range can be possible on dirt roads only in exceptional cases and at low speeds."