Audi RS e-tron GT – Infotainment and operating concept

Eleven antennas, all of which are integrated where they cannot be seen, connect the e-tron GT with the outside world. They receive and transmit audio, LTE, Bluetooth, and GPS signals, thereby connecting the electric gran turismo to the environment and its owner in many different ways. The customer can control many functions via the free myAudi app on their smartphone.

The MMI navigation plus media center comes as standard in both e-tron GT models. It supports the fast LTE Advanced transmission standard with integrated Wi-Fi hotspot for the passengers’ devices. The navigation system offers destination suggestions based on previously driven routes, and route calculation both in the car and online is performed on the servers of service provider HERE. To do this, it uses real-time data from the entire traffic situation.

The Audi connect online services are split into two packages. The Audi connect emergency call & service with Audi connect remote & control section enables the remote control of the locking system, charging, and climate control. The Audi connect navigation & infotainment package includes services such as traffic information online, navigation with Google Earth™, and Amazon Alexa. Car-to-X services output warnings regarding hazards and help with finding free parking spots on the roadside or allow the driver to surf the green wave by communicating with traffic lights.

The e-tron route planner, a further service from Audi connect, calculates the fastest route with the shortest possible charging stops. In doing so, it also takes traffic data and the driver’s driving profile into account. The e-tron route planner is connected to the car’s thermal management. This enables high-speed charging if the driver has selected a powerful DC terminal as the destination in the navigation system. Roughly half an hour before arrival at the terminal, the thermal management intensifies the cooling of the battery so that it can charge as quickly as possible. Should the battery still be very cold shortly after the car is started in winter, it is heated for fast charging.

Attractive hardware modules supplement the infotainment portfolio. The Audi phone box, which is available in two versions, links smartphones to the vehicle’s antenna and charges them inductively.

The Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, which comes as standard with the RS model (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi)*: 20.2–19.3 (NEDC), combined CO₂ emissions in g/km (g/mi)*: 0), ups the ante with an output of 710 watts. Among its 16 loudspeakers are two 3D loudspeakers in the A-pillars.

Controls and displays

In terms of controls and displays, the e-tron GT quattro and the RS e-tron GT follow the current Audi concept: All information appears on two large displays. The driver operates the Audi virtual cockpit plus (12.3 inches) via the multifunction steering wheel and controls the central MMI touch display (10.1 inches) via touch. Behind the control and display functions in the e-tron GT quattro and the RS e-tron GT is the state-of-the-art third generation modular infotainment platform (MIB 3).

The freestanding Audi virtual cockpit plus behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel provides a high resolution of 1,920 x 720 pixels and allows the driver to switch between three screens: classic, sport, and e-tron. In the e-tron view, the focus is on the large powermeter that displays the status of the drive and all important information on electric driving. The driver manages the infotainment, navigation, comfort functions, and text input via the MMI touch display, which provides acoustic feedback.

The third control level is the natural voice control which understands many expressions from everyday language. It uses both onboard information and knowledge from the cloud to respond to the input. The optional head-up display can display important information on the windshield. The image window is in the driver’s field of vision, with the projection appearing to float about three meters (9.8 ft) in front of them.

The personalization is a convenient function of the Audi e-tron GT (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi)*: 19.6–18.8 (NEDC), combined CO₂ emissions in g/km (g/mi)*: 0). Up to six users can each store their preferred settings in individual profiles. The data is stored in the customer’s myAudi account. The car adjusts the individual settings when the driver’s door is opened.

* Information on electric power consumption and CO₂ emission figures given in ranges depend on the equipment selected for the vehicle.

02/2021