Audi e-tron's optional side cameras will help maximize range
The feature will reduce drag but won't be available everywhere.
Audi has a novel way to reduce drag and maximize the range of its electric e-tron SUV: it plans to offer an option to nix side mirrors. Instead, the car can use cameras, and display images from them on OLED screens between the instrument panel and the door. Opting for cameras instead of mirrors cuts the car's width by just under six inches, reducing both drag and wind noise. The "virtual exterior mirrors" are also adaptable depending on your situation -- they can be optimized for highway driving, turning and parking.
Making the e-tron as aerodynamic as possible is critical for Audi if it wants to meet its target range of 248.5 miles. The carmaker is also using a controllable cool-air inlet, adaptive air suspension and side air inlets to reduce resistance, with the measures combining to increase the range by almost 22 miles. But it's the cameras that are most intriguing. The option to install them will only be available in regions where Audi is legally permitted to offer them, Electrek noted. You can check out the virtual mirrors for yourself after the e-tron hits the market, which is scheduled to happen later this year.
