Three weeks ago, I visited Audi’s R&D centre in Ingolstadt to try out the new Q6 e-tron and took time to discuss technology with Stephen Berlitz and Michael Kruppa’s team.
Like a normal lighting engineer, I started with a night drive in Bavarian forest. Audi are lucky: drive 5 km and you are in the fully dark forest, perfect for a night drive. You have curvy roads, hills, and animals to detect. When you drive this sort of road, you understand why you need a powerful low beam (wide) and high beam (range). The two modules are clearly doing the job even though they’re just 25 millimetres high.
On the video you can see the benefit of the very wide high beam (37 degrees outboard): the high beam field of illumination corresponds to your eye’s field of view, limited by the A-pillar. Perfect! a must-have for safety and comfort.
You also understand the importance of powerful headlamps we have in Europe. I found similar roads in Sweden when I was working for Volvo Cars and it is not a surprise why European automakers, especially from northern Europe, prioritize lighting performance. Road and environmental conditions can be dangerous, and you need a good light!
Have a look at my detailed article in this week’s DVNewsletter all about my test of the Q6 e-tron. And feel free to go see the videos from the Michigan DVN Workshop, and read our complete report on that event.
Sincerely yours,