After a 20-year drought, Dune fans suddenly have more than one game to look forward to playing. After announcing Dune: Spice Wars in 2021, Norwegian publisher Funcom revealed at this year's Gamescom that it's creating a new MMO set in Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi universe. The trailer the company shared during the event didn't showcase gameplay.
Instead, we see a character, possibly the game's version of Paul Atreides, watch a sandworm devour a spice harvester while reciting Dune's famous "fear is the mind-killer" mantra, with the eventual title card promising an open-world survival experience. The game's Steam page provides a few more details about the project. Players will have the chance to explore the desert planet while in search of spice. You'll need to protect your harvester from opportunistic raiders and the occasional sandworm. Funcom did not announce a release date for Dune: Awakening, but the game's website invites fans to sign up for a forthcoming beta.
Gamescom 2022 opened with the reveal of Everywhere, a new game from Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies. "We want the community to build this. We want it to be their world. We want them to tell their stories in our game," Benzies said before sharing a trailer that seemed to show off two very different games.
At first, we see an experience that looks similar to Fortnite. There are multiple characters shooting, jumping and driving across different biomes, with an obvious metaverse-like social component built into gameplay. However, in the final third of the trailer, the game's art style changes and we're treated to more photo-realistic graphics. In an interview after the clip played, assistant game designer Adam Whiting didn't provide many other details about the project, but did say developer Build a Robot Boy hopes to release Everywhere sometime next year.
BYD is one of more than 450 registered EV firms in China, all of which are competing for a slice of the world’s largest automotive market with future designs for the US and Europe as well. American ingenuity may have initially ushered in the EV era, but it’s been China’s relentless commoditization of the technology that has put the nation’s automakers at the forefront of the global electric vehicle race.
“Developing new energy vehicles is essential for China’s transformation from a big automobile country to a powerful automobile country,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in 2014. “We should increase research and development, seriously analyze the market, adjust existing policy and develop new products to meet the needs of different customers. This can make a strong contribution to economic growth.” In China, so-called New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) are basically any plug-in electric (either hybrid or battery) which qualifies for financial subsidies from the government — specifically battery electrics, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell EVs.
These efforts can also help China meet its Paris Accord carbon neutrality targets of a 20 percent reduction by 2035 and a 100 percent reduction by 2060 – lofty goals given it’s currently the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. These policies aim to reduce pollution in Chinese cities, reduce the nation’s reliance on imported oil, and “position China for global leadership in a strategic industry,” per a 2019 study by Columbia University.
The country’s central government has invested heavily over the past decade to spur growth in the NEV industry, leveraging a mix of policy, tax incentives and consumer subsidies. As of 2020, EVs must account for 12 percent of production for any company that manufactures or imports more than 30,000 vehicles in China (up from a 10 percent requirement the previous year). The government has also deeply subsidized consumers’ EV purchases with more than $14.8 billion since 2009, providing up to $3,600 for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with more than 400 km range, though those rebates were first halved, then eliminated by 2021.
The government has also provided funding and standardization mandates for building out China’s charging infrastructure with a goal of 120,000 EV charging stations and 4.8 million EV charging stalls available by 2020. Local and municipal governments further incentivized EVs with discounts on licensing fees and preferential parking spots for NEVs.
“Emerging China EV companies are making a concerted effort to target the premium end of the local market and eventually abroad,” Deutsche Bank equity analyst Edison Yu told Forbes in July. “We are already witnessing intense domestic competition in the mass market from Leap Motor, Hozon Neta, WM Motor, BYD and numerous sub-brands from incumbent OEMs (GAC/Aion, BAIC/Arcfox, SAIC/R-brand). Newer entrants have shown willingness to absorb deep losses to quickly gain volume share.”
The Chinese EV market is currently dominated by five firms: Tesla comes in third surrounded by domestic automotive manufacturers BYD (27.9 percent market share), SGMW (10.1 percent), Chery (4.9 percent), and GAC (4.2 percent). Geely, which owns stakes in Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, didn’t crack the top five but its various brands did manage a record 2.2 million worldwide vehicle sales in 2021. XPeng and NIO are additional noteworthy brands, totaling 98,155 and 91,429 sales in 2021, respectively.
At the Boao Forum in 2018, President Jinping announced a raft of sweeping economic reforms designed to further open the nation’s markets, including an announcement to phase out existing limits on foreign ownership of automakers. The Policy for the Automotive Industry of 1994 contained a key provision that banned foreign business entities from owning more than 50 percent of a joint venture with a Chinese firm as well as from participating on more than two such ventures for any single vehicle type sold in the country — the so-called 50%+2 rule. Jinping’s reforms will see the 2-venture limit lifted in 2022 and the restriction on ownership share eliminated at the end of 2023.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
This regulatory relaxation could have immense impact on the Chinese EV market, potentially increasing competition for domestic OEMs from an influx of international automakers hawking additional NEV brands and models. The rule change could also see foreign firms renegotiate their ownership stakes, potentially even fully buying out their Chinese partners, though as Sino Auto points out, that isn’t likely to happen in the immediate future as the existing joint ventures have an average remaining contract length of 19 years. Overall, the policy shift should give international firms a more even footing with local Chinese automakers.
That’s not to say that local firms won’t still enjoy a number of advantages. For one, switching costs associated with transitioning from internal combustion to electric drivetrains are largely non-existent because for many Chinese consumers, an EV will be their first vehicle. The local automakers also have a better handle on what their customers want, offering tech-laden, customizable EVs at a variety of trim levels (starting at literally $4,300) to tech-savvy, price sensitive, middle-class consumers.
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International auto companies will need to tread carefully around any number of hot button topics, freedom and privacy concerns, should they choose to do business in China. GM and BMW, for example, recently became embroiled in a dispute over accusations of forced labor usage in lithium mining in the Xinjiang region. Beijing denied the allegations, characterizing the report as “nothing but ill-intentioned smears against China,” per Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in April. The US has since sanctioned individuals and companies involved in the Xinjiang operation. Lithium mined from the region is used in Tesla battery systems, among others.
Looking ahead, you’ll need to tilt your head back a bit as the Chinese EV market is expected to grow more than 30 percent by 2027. The government’s stringent emissions regulations and growing population are both expected to contribute to the expected demand growth. What’s more, “over the forecast period (2022-2027), the country may also witness growth in the adoption of electric buses,” a recent study from Mordor Intelligence notes. “More than 30 Chinese cities have made plans to achieve 100 percent electrified public transit in the near future.” That’s not even including the nation’s battery production capacity, which currently stands at roughly 59 percent of the global market. It too is expected to balloon 7.5 percent by 2027.
Aly Song / reuters
Given the robust domestic Chinese market, it may not be long before we see BYD or XPeng brands on American roads, much as they are on the streets of Europe. “I’d imagine it’s only a matter of time before we see more Chinese vehicles being sold in North America,” Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein told Capital in February.
“Given that EVs are a new powertrain, this is an opportunity for Chinese automakers to establish brands in new geographies where, for years, with the internal-combustion engine, Chinese automakers tended to only sell vehicles in China,” he continued.
The question now is whether China can maintain its pole positioning. Just as Tesla was eventually overtaken by BYD despite enjoying a sizeable and lengthy initial lead, Chinese automakers find themselves in much the same position: on top of the heap, but for how long once the likes of GM and Ford come sniffing around with their deep pockets and expansive R&D budgets?
Throughout its first three generations, Samsung’s flagship foldable phone has made massive leaps and improvements. Simply putting together the original Fold with its flexible OLED screen was a triumph of engineering, even though it had some obvious flaws. Then on the Z Fold 2, Samsung got rid of the selfie notch, increased the size of the Cover Screen and redesigned the hinge to better withstand everyday wear and tear. And with the Z Fold 3, we got native stylus support and water resistance on a foldable for the first time.
But with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it feels like Samsung has slowed down to polish the blueprint it's been revising over the years. We’re talking sharper cameras with a longer zoom, better battery life, a renewed focus on multitasking and more. So while it might not look all that different, the Z Fold 4 feels like it’s five to 10 percent improved across practically every metric. Yeah, it’s still kind of bulky, and with a starting price of $1,800, it's way more expensive than a typical glass brick. But that’s the tax you pay for a cutting-edge device that’s actually ready for the mainstream.
Design and durability
Weighing 263 grams or 9.28 American yeehaw units and measuring 15.8mm at its hinge when closed, the Z Fold 4 is less than 10 grams lighter and 1mm thinner than the previous model. That’s a difference that’s almost impossible to discern – even when holding both phones at the same time. But that doesn’t mean everything is the same.
The bezels and frame around the 6.2-inch Cover Screen have been trimmed down, allowing for a display that’s about 3mm wider than before. That might not sound like much, but it makes a big impact. Typing quick replies or searches on my Z Fold 3 often felt cramped, resulting in regular typos. But even without really increasing the Fold’s physical dimensions Samsung has improved the typing experience and cut back on mishits.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
On top of that, the hinge is a bit flatter and thinner and the whole phone has slightly sharper edges, almost as if Samsung honed its design with a whetstone. And it’s a similar story on the inside, where the plastic bezels surrounding the 7.6-inch flexible OLED display have been trimmed down too. The effect is subtle, but everything is a bit sleeker and toned up, even though the phone is actually a touch wider than before. You still get a side-mounted fingerprint reader, which is fast and responsive and the best choice for this device until someone figures out how to make an under-screen sensor for flexible displays.
The Z Fold 4 sports Gorilla Glass Victus+ in front and back, along with the company’s signature Armor Aluminum alloy holding everything together. Samsung also says it has changed the construction of its flexible display to be 45 percent more durable than before, while the addition of new metal plates and sponges behind the display help prevent it from becoming mushy over time – not that it was really an issue on previous devices.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Of course, the one exception to the surprisingly rugged build on recent Folds’ is Samsung’s built-in screen protector, which once again comes with a warning on first boot that it should not be removed by anyone besides a certified technician. Now, I’ve been very open about the bubbling issues I’ve experienced on both my Z Fold 2 and Z Fold 3, and this remains one of my biggest concerns. This year, Samsung says it switched to a stickier adhesive and a new factory application process intended to prevent the screen protector from peeling away or bubbling prematurely. Naturally, I haven’t had time to see how this change will hold up over time, but you better believe I’m going to revisit this down the line.
Display
Next, let’s talk about the star of the show: the Z Fold 4’s display, or in this case displays. Both the 6.2-inch Cover Screen and the 7.6-inch main screen support a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and excellent brightness. Using a light meter, I measured the Cover Screen hitting just shy of 700 nits on an all-white screen, while the interior display did even better at around 750 nits. And with Samsung claiming a peak brightness of over 1,000 nits, everything from games to movies just look better.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Honestly, this flexible main display is still the thing I like most about the Fold. You get a small vibrant screen on the outside that’s easy to use one-handed, so you can quickly look up directions or text a friend while walking around. Then when you have a chance to sit down, you can open up the phone to reveal a big and even more colorful display for all your productivity or entertainment needs. And all this comes on a device that easily fits in your pocket.
Yeah, there’s still a crease, and it’d be nice if it wasn’t there. But after using a Fold for even a short time, you stop caring about it and you start enjoying the screen for all of its strengths. When you want to bury yourself in a book, setting something like the Kindle app to display white text on a pure black background transforms the Fold 4's OLED screen into the best e-reader around. Comics arguably look even better thanks to rich, punchy colors. And because there’s so much screen space to utilize, you get room for immersive viewing in tight quarters like on the subway, or potent productivity if that’s what you need.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Before I forget, while it’s still easy to see when you’re looking for it, the new subpixel matrix on top of the Fold 4’s under-display-camera does an even better job of camouflaging its 4MP sensor. Just don’t expect a big upgrade in image quality, because this thing isn’t good for much more than showing your face during video calls.
Performance and software
When it comes to performance, there isn’t really anything that can bog the Z Fold down. Recent games like Diablo: Immortal and Warhammer 40,000: Lost Crusade run super smooth. Same goes for when you have three different apps on screen at the same time. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (or 1TB if your order direct from Samsung). And in tests, the Z Fold 4 even flexes on its little brother, with multicore scores in Geekbench 5 of 4,036 versus 3,441 for the S22 Ultra.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But more importantly, Samsung and its partners (like Google and Microsoft) continue to enhance the phone’s multitasking software thanks to expanded support for Flex mode and a platform based on Android 12L. Now if you’re scrolling through a news site like say Engadget, it's even easier to open a link in a new window without losing your place. And when the phone is half closed, apps like YouTube and Netflix automatically adjust their UI to better suit your orientation.
That said, my favorite improvement is the Fold 4’s redesigned taskbar, which now lives at the bottom of the screen and serves as a powerful extension of the traditional Android Home row. When you launch an app, the bottom row of icons cleverly shrinks and expands, giving you access to your Home Row, along with recently opened apps and any app pairs you may have created – all without taking up too much space.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
And while they’re kind of hidden, if you dive into Samsung’s Labs in the Advanced setting menu, you can activate a number of even more helpful multitasking features and gestures. Take for example the two-finger swipe up from the bottom or sides of the screen that lets you instantly launch into split screen mode, which makes multitasking a cinch. Alternatively, if you want a more desktop-like approach, you can toggle on the multi-window menu option, which adds a little tab at the top of apps that holds another set of spilt screen options.
However, I must admit I’m not really a fan of Samsung’s new Flex Mode Panel, which presents a little laptop-like touchpad and some quick settings on the bottom of an app when the phone is half-open. It’s kind of clunky, and because some media apps like YouTube already have their own customized Flex Mode layouts, I’ve yet to encounter a situation where having a little mouse cursor is actually all that useful.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But that’s just one small swing and a miss, and for Samsung which is kind of plowing through uncharted territory with its attempts to add powerful multitasking features to a foldable phablet, one whiff among a bunch of handy hits is hardly something to get upset about.
Cameras
While the Z Fold 4 still can’t really hang with phones like the S22 Ultra or the Pixel 6 Pro, that gap isn’t nearly as big as it used to be. Not only do you get a new 10MP telephoto cam with a 3x optical zoom – up from 2x on the Z Fold 3 – there’s also a new 50MP main cam that catches 23 percent more light than before. That has a noticeable impact on low-light pics. And before I forget, there’s still a solid 12MP ultra-wide camera for capturing all your group shots and expansive landscapes.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
At night details are crisper, with the Z Fold capturing a shot of the NYC skyline featuring soft, blurry lights on the buildings in the distance compared to a similar pic from the Pixel 6 Pro. And in another shot of some mangos at a fruit stand, the Fold 4 arguably captured better textures, though Samsung’s photo processing strumbled by picking a white balance that’s a bit too warm.
But if image quality is super important to you, phones like the Pixel 6 Pro still have an obvious advantage. Even in daylight where most every high-end phone can shoot a great photo nowadays, the Pixel 6 Pro captured sharper focus and richer detail than anything the Z Fold 4 could manage.
Battery Life
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Remember when I said the Z Fold 4’s faster performance is hard to fully appreciate? Well, that may be true when it comes to processing power, but when it comes to energy efficiency, the improvement you get from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is plain to see. On our local video rundown test, the Z Fold 4 posted a time of 17 hours and 13 minutes for its main screen, compared to 14:03 for last year’s Z Fold 3.
That’s more than solid for any smartphone, let alone a foldable with a huge main display. Alternatively, if for some reason you’re in a situation where you’re only using the Cover Screen all day, it did even better with a mark of 20:45. And when you need to refill, the Fold 4 still has 25-watt fast charging (which sadly is isn’t quite as speedy as the 45-watt charging you get on the S22 Ultra), 15-watt wireless charging and wireless power sharing for topping off other gadgets in need.
Wrap-up
When it comes to how you feel about the Z Fold 4, I think a lot of that depends on your opinion about foldables in general. There’s no denying that Samsung’s latest and greatest is still way bulkier than a standard smartphone, and at $1,800 it’s a lot more expensive too. And when you consider that its design is essentially the same as before, I doubt the upgrades included in this generation are really going to sway the naysayers. For current Z Fold 3 owners, it’s also kind of the same. The improvements are nice, but not really worth shelling out a bunch of money to upgrade after only a year.
But for people who have been tempted by a foldable that’s arguably the most powerful pocket-size multitasker you can buy right now, now there are even more reasons to consider diving in. The Z Fold 4’s cameras are better, its performance is faster and its battery life is even longer without Samsung actually increasing the size of the power cell inside. Also, thanks to new software, it feels like the Z Fold 4 is really starting to unlock the true potential for productivity on a handheld device. And we haven’t even talked about stylus support, which is just as handy as ever, and is only brought down by the lack of built-in storage for stashing an S Pen.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Do I wish Samsung had cribbed some of the fancy features seen on other high-end foldables from Vivo, Xiaomi and others? Yes, absolutely, and I won’t be surprised if we get some major design changes on next year’s offering. But as a total package, Samsung has tweaked and refined the Z Fold 4’s kit with just enough for it to retain its title as the flagship foldable phone to beat.
So HBO’s The Last of Us is almost here, but Sony forges forward with even more shows and/or movies based on PlayStation game franchises. With mixed levels of anticipation, I’d say.
Sony is reportedly working on a Gravity Rush movie with Ridley Scott's production team. The movie will be based on the original 2012 PlayStation Vita game, featuring Kat, an amnesiac who can manipulate gravity to traverse an open world in a novel way. Emily Jerome, the writer of upcoming thriller Panopticon, is working on the script. Anna Mastro, who helmed Disney+ film Secret Society of Second Born Royals, has been tapped to direct.
On top of that, Days Gone’s post-apocalyptic tale is going to be a film, with Outlander actor Sam Heughan reportedly to star in a script penned by Up in the Air and X-Men: First Class writer Sheldon Turner. It may seem like an odd choice: The game has sold nine million copies to date, making it one of the company’s least well-received first-party titles. But Days Gone has picked up a new audience since its release on Steam — a movie could repeat that magic.
The JWT has snapped a pair of near-infrared photos showing Jupiter's polar auroras. You can also see, above, the planet's extremely faint rings and two of its smaller moons, Amalthea (the bright spot to the far left) and Adrastea (the dot at the left edge of the central ring). Astronomers created composites with filters mapped to multiple colors. In several images, the Great Red Spot and other cloud formations are white because they reflect large amounts of sunlight.
MoviePass’ return is almost here. A beta of the revived service will launch on or around September 5th (Labor Day). Pricing depends on the market, but it will be a tiered system costing around $10, $20 or $30 per month. Insider, which reported the relaunch details, noted users will get a number of credits each month. There won't be an unlimited plan — maybe lessons have been learned.
The organization wants to end confusing response time specs.
The Video Electronics Standards Associated (VESA) wants to make buying your next monitor or TV easier, and it’s doing so by introducing a new standard. I know what you’re thinking: Between DisplayPort, DisplayHDR and AdaptiveSync, aren’t there already enough VESA standards? Well, yes.
But here comes another. VESA’s new Clear Motion Ratio Compliance Test Specification, or ClearMR for short, has tiered ranking designed to communicate the ratio of clear to blurry pixels a screen will produce when displaying a fast-moving image.
Dorsey previously endorsed Musk’s bid to buy Twitter.
Lawyers representing Elon Musk in his battle with Twitter have subpoenaed former CEO Jack Dorsey. It’s not yet clear how Dorsey factors in Musk's legal strategy. As noted by the Chancery Daily Twitter account, the subpoena refers to “documents and communications reflecting, referring to, or relating to the impact or effect of false or spam accounts on Twitter’s business operations.” Interestingly, it also requests “documents relating to incorporating mDAU (monetizable daily active users) into executive or director compensation.”
If you were hoping to while the holiday season wearing a virtual reality headset from Sony, you are sadly out of luck. Nearly six years after its predecessor debuted in 2016, Sony took to Instagram on Monday to announce that its next iteration of the console-based VR system won't arrive until "early 2023."
According to a PlayStation blog last month, the new setup would run 4000 x 2040 resolution (that's 2000 x 2040 per eye) at 90/120hz while a "see-through mode" safety feature will keep wayward players from wandering too far a virtual field, similar to what Meta offers on the Quest Guardian. There's no word yet on pricing.
Sony seems determined to turn every gaming property it has ever laid a finger on into a movie or TV show. PlayStation Productions has a whole heap of projects in the works and the latest, according to Deadline, is a Gravity Rushfilm.
The movie will be based on the 2012 PlayStation Vita game of the same name from Japan Studio's Team Gravity (the title was later remastered for PlayStation 4). You play as Kat, an amnesiac who can manipulate gravity to traverse an open world in a novel way. Kat uses her powers to protect the people of Hekseville from gravity storms and monsters. A sequel arrived on PS4 in 2017.
Ridley Scott's production company Scott Free Productions is reportedly working on the movie. Emily Jerome, the writer of upcoming thriller Panopticon, is working on the script. Anna Mastro, who helmed Disney+ film Secret Society of Second Born Royals and episodes of many notable TV shows, is onboard as director.
The Gravity Rush project underlines just how serious Sony is about expanding its gaming IP into the realms of film and television. It finally released an Uncharted movie earlier this year and over the weekend, it emerged that a Days Gone film is in development. That's on top of shows based on Twisted Metal,God of War and the Horizon games, as well as upcoming Gran Turismo and Ghost of Tsushima movies.
Last, but by no means least, a show based on The Last of Us is coming to HBO next year. The network released the first footage from the series in a sizzle reel on Sunday. With The Last of Us Day fast approaching, we likely won't have to wait long for a full trailer.
Companies already use The Game Awards to pitch related movies and shows, but now the event will officially recognize those productions. Organizers have revealed that the 2022 Game Awards will take place December 8th with a new Best Adaptation category. Companies will receive statuettes for any project that translates games to "popular media," including movies, TV series, podcasts and books.
The event will not only retain an in-person component, but extend that to theaters. The Game Awards will offer a live "IMAX Experience" in cities worldwide. While more details are due in the months ahead, it's safe to presume you'll get a richer audiovisual presentation as you watch ceremonies and game trailers.
The creation of an adaptation category isn't surprising. This year has had a flurry of game-inspired media, including the long-in-the-making Halo TV series, a well-received Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie and an anticipated (if unspectacular) Uncharted film. This gives The Game Awards a chance to capitalize on the trend, of course, but it could also reward those studios that do justice to favorite gaming franchises.
Days Gone may never get a proper sequel, but its post-apocalyptic story could eventually make its way to the silver screen. According to Deadline, Sony’s PlayStation Productions unit is developing a film adaptation of the 2019 game. Outlander actor Sam Heughan is reportedly set to star in a script penned by Up in the Air and X-Men: First Class writer Sheldon Turner. Deadline reports Turner envisions the final film being a “love ballad to motorcycle movies.”
After greenlighting adaptations of critically acclaimed games like The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone may seem like an unusual choice from Sony. After all, while the game has sold 9 million copies to date, it’s one of the company’s least well-received first-party titles in recent memory. However, since Sony decided to port Days Gone toPC, it has enjoyed newfound success. Search for the game on YouTube, and you’ll find countless videos trying to answer the question of whether you should play Days Gone in 2022. Almost every video on the subject agrees: it’s an experience worth your time. Steam reviews tell much the same story. Across 26,146 submissions, it has a “Very Positive” rating. If there's a project for Sony to take a risk on, it's Days Gone.
Audi still isn't done unveiling self-driving concept EVs, but its next model might be appealing if you're eager to leave the asphalt. The company has revealed that its fourth Sphere concept will be the Activesphere, an SUV-like machine that promises "maximum variability" for on- and off-road travel. As with earlier designs, the automaker is touting an autonomous-friendly interior that can help you relax. We wouldn't count on going hands-free while you're on the trail, but Audi is at least moving beyond city-oriented prototypes.
The full Activesphere debut is slated for the start of 2023. Audi began its campaign by unveiling the Skysphere roadster in August 2021, and quickly followed it with the Grandsphere sedan (September 2021) and Urbansphere SUV (April this year). As a rule, they've centered around living room-like cabins and ambitious performance. The Grandsphere and Urbansphere, for instance, boast a claimed 466-mile range.
The question, as you might have guessed, is whether or not the Activesphere and any of its predecessors will directly influence future Audi EVs. Right now, the brand's electric lineup revolves around decidedly more conventional (if very speedy) products. Fully self-driving vehicles may also have to wait when many countries only allow limited autonomy at best. Audi expects its new vehicles to be EV-only starting in 2026, though, and it's hard to imagine the company ignoring driverless cars when its rival Mercedes is already touting Level 3 autonomy.
