Audi presents vision of autonomous driving for the future in Frankfurt

The new Audi A8 is making its show premiere in Frankfurt, Germany. It is the first production car to permit conditional automated driving on public roads. For the first time, drivers will be able to completely turn over the task of driving in certain situations. This step is a technological revolution. And with the double world premiere of two concept cars, Audi is also showing how the brand intends to further develop autonomous driving in the future.

The Audi Elaine is an electric-powered sport utility vehicle coupe that, in a few short years, will make highly automated driving possible - at times even without a driver on-board. The driver parks the Audi in a designated area - the 'handover zone' - and exits the vehicle. From there, the car drives automatically and unoccupied into a multi-storey parking garage offering a variety of services such as a car wash, a package station, a petrol station or a charging post. Thanks to Audi AI, the car does all of this itself.

With the Audi Aicon, the brand with the four rings is presenting an autonomous Audi of the future - with no steering wheel or pedals. As a design concept, the four-door 2+2 boldly leaps ahead to show the exterior and interior design of the next decades. The technology demonstrator combines innovations relating to the drivetrain, suspension, digitalisation and sustainability in a visionary manner. The Aicon, too, is designed for purely electric operation and should be able to cover distances between 700km and 800km on a single charge.