Audi Q3 concept carries electric scooter to carve up traffic

The Audi Q3-based show car was created by Audi’s China Research and Development team for the 2016 Beijing motor show, and features a 1.05-metre-long board that is stored in a pull-out drawer in the vehicle’s rear bumper.

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The vehicle’s infotainment system syncs with the owner’s smartphone calendar and uses real-time traffic data to determine whether they will reach their destination on time.

If traffic is too busy, the system will locate a parking space for the vehicle and recommend the owner completes the journey via the electronically powered, multifunction ‘longboard’. Sat-nav instructions are transferred to the owner’s smartphone.

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Owners can choose to ride the longboard like a scooter, complete with handlebar and clippable backpack, or like a skateboard, by retracting the handlebar.

The board is constructed from carbon-fibre and aluminium and has a battery range of 12km. Speeds up to a maximum 30km/h are controlled either way by a remote control.

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Alternatively, the board can play porter and carry luggage and shopping bags while following the owner.

Audi’s mobility concept is a new spin on what is actually a decades-old idea. Honda offered a 49cc two-stroke mini-bike called the Motocompo in the early 1980s, which was designed to fit into the boot of its small cars such as the (first generation) City.