Street surfing

The traffic is at a complete standstill but you have somewhere you absolutely have to be. Your navigation has assessed the situation and there are no shortcuts that will ease the gridlock or hurry your progress – there is only one solution. 

You pull over and park and select the Audi long board neatly stored in a drawer under the rear door of your Q3-based concept study – the Audi connected mobility concept. The design is retro yet with an unmistakable Audi treatment. It’s sleek and modern, an electronically-powered longboard that takes a time-honoured form of sporting equipment – the trusty old skateboard concept – and reimagines it as a practical transportation solution for the modern age.

Unveiled at the Beijing International Motorshow, the Audi connected mobility concept is based on the Audi Q3, the top selling SUV on the massive Chinese market, but designed to better cater to the demands of megacities with particularly dense traffic. 

Developed by Audi Research & Development in Beijing, the Audi connected mobility concept, features an electrically powered multifunctional longboard, measuring 1.05 meters in length, which is integrated into the rear bumper of the car for convenient storage and removal. To ensure permanent usability, the device is charged automatically while loaded in the car. 

Made from a combination of carbon fibre and aluminium, its design marries perfectly with that of the vehicle and it is in fact an integral part of the mobility solution as a whole. 

The car’s infotainment system is linked to the smartphone calendar of the user. Based on the destination and planned arrival time, the system will calculate the fastest mobility mix based on real-time traffic data. If the longboard option is faster, the system will recommend a parking space nearby so that the driver can continue the commute to the destination with the electric board. The navigation information synchronises with the Audi MMI connect App on the user’s smartphone that continues to guide the route, now attached to the handle system of the longboard.

With a battery range of 12 kilometres and a top speed of 30km/h, it is more than up to the cut and thrust of city life, and can be used in three different modes – scooter mode, sport mode or as a transportation device for luggage or shopping.

In scooter mode, the phone clipped to the unfolded handlebar to display directions and the speed is adjusted via remote control attached to the right handlebar grip. Fold the handbag down flush with the ‘deck’ and the longboard is in ‘sport mode’ with the rider controlling speed via the remote control in his hand. In the third mode, the board serves as a transport device, carrying luggage for the owner who controls its progress  wirelessly.

Although presented as a concept, the applications of such a device in crowded urban environments is obvious. But quite aside from the practical applications, the appeal of the Audi longboard component from a purely fun perspective should not be underestimated – this is just what’s need to spice up any commute.