The predictive suspension anticipates potholes in the Audi A8

The Audi A8 debuts a predictive active suspension capable of reading the road ahead and anticipating potholes, while recovering energy from the body’s movements.

The flagship of Audi, the A8, receives a new technology: predictive active suspension. Since its launch, the Audi A8 already had an active suspension, which also worked wonderfully, as you can read in this road test of the Audi A8.

Now, the evolution of the active suspension includes an important new feature: it works predictively, based on the data it receives from a video camera that “reads” the road.

As the driver can choose between a sportier setup or one oriented towards comfort, the Audi A8 thus becomes a limousine for travelling with a chauffeur from the rear seats, or a large sports saloon if at some point its owner wants to take the wheel.

The car that “reads” the road

The predictive active suspension of the Audi includes four electric motors, one per wheel, which receive power from the main 48-volt electrical system. They form part of an electromechanical system made up of a series of connecting rods and actuators, as well as a transmission that can increase the electric motor’s torque by up to 200 times, reaching 1,100 Nm.

The system can increase or reduce the suspension force applied to each wheel individually, actively… and predictively, as we will see later. In just five tenths of a second, it can raise or lower the body by up to 85 mm at each of its ends. The effect is as follows: when the suspension, upon hitting a pothole, compresses the spring, the A8’s predictive active system counteracts this effect through the action of the electric motors.

Energy consumption is in the range of 10 to 200 watts, so its operation is very efficient. But furthermore, depending on the driving situation, the electric motors can recover up to 3 kW of energy by controlling the body’s movements. This energy is stored in the 48-volt system battery.

The “cherry on top” of the system is its ability to anticipate potholes, thanks to the predictive function. The front video camera is responsible for “reading” the road and prepares the suspension so that, within just milliseconds, its components adjust to the irregularity the car is about to encounter.

À la carte: comfortable or sporty suspension

The driver can select two operating modes in the Audi drive select, the Audi dynamic driving system.

In “comfort plus” mode, smoothness takes priority. Driving the Audi A8 over a pothole feels like continuing along a perfectly smooth and flat road. But the system goes further. In corners, it is able to automatically raise the body on the outer side and lower the inner side by up to 3 degrees.

According to Audi, this means passengers barely notice the bend, an effect that is especially noticeable in the range of 80 to 130 km/h, with lateral accelerations of up to 0.4 g.

According to Audi, the effect of the predictive suspension is such that it would allow taking corners without spilling the liquid from a full cup placed in the car’s cup holder.

Another function of the Audi A8’s predictive active suspension in comfort mode is the reduction of the forces acting on passengers when accelerating or braking hard. It does this with body movements that push the passengers back into their seats, rather than against the seatbelts. Finally, a function that makes it easier to get in and out of the vehicle is also included: when the door handles are operated, the body automatically rises by 50 mm.

As a safety-enhancing feature, this suspension, combined with the Audi pre sense 360 degree system, which can be fitted to the A8 by choosing the City assistance package, raises the body by up to 80 mm when it detects an imminent side collision situation.

In this way, the A8 prepares to receive the impact in the area where the bodywork would best absorb the collision energy, reducing by up to 50% the loads that could affect the chest and abdomen area of the vehicle’s occupants in this type of accident.

For now, there is no definitive price for Spain for the Audi A8’s predictive active suspension, which can be ordered from August onwards. In Germany, this option costs around 5,500 euros.