Have you ever just lost your shit in traffic? The correct answer is yes. Because everybody loses their shit in traffic. There are few less productive uses of time than sitting inside a car for two hours on a four-lane highway, listening to the same podcast for the eighth time, only to cover a grand total of six miles. Those two hours are lost forever, and now you’re pissed. All this because some loser thought they could get their new queen sized mattress home with a couple of bungee chords and a Toyota Camry.
Sometimes it can get crazy enough that you simply want to throw your hands in the air, pull the keys out of the ignition, and leave your car sitting in the middle of bumper to bumper traffic – because walking (or skating) would be more efficient.
Apparently a really creative person working at Audi has lived this life far too long and they’re hellbent on changing it. Or maybe they’ve made a regular habit of actually leaving their car behind in those horrid traffic jams. Earlier this week the German automobile manufacturer unveiled their new Connected Mobility Concpet at Beijing’s International Automobile Exhibition. The car’s navigation system, linked to your smartphone, analyzes the traffic on your current route and makes that executive decision: “stay the course, ride it out” or “you’re better off just skating there.” The skating part isn’t a joke either, because the bumper of the concept Q3 has an electric longboard stored in the rear bumper. The motorized board supposedly covers about 7 miles on a single charge and moves a little faster than 18 miles and hour. And if you don’t feel like skating the board folds out to a scooter with speed controls on the handlebars.
Oh, and they don’t actually expect you to leave your car sitting in the middle of the road whenever you abandon ship. Part of Connected Mobility’s navigation process involves finding you the nearest parking spot to leave the rig behind before skating to work or wherever you’re ultimately going. And as oddball as the whole concept might seem, this is something that could become common in the evolution of commuting. Audi is just one manufacturer looking ahead for environmentally friendly and efficient travel options, along with Ford who has their own e-bike concept that will be disassembled and fit into cars. But who knows when we’ll all start buying skateboards and bikes that come with complimentary hybrid cars?
