Unique: the lighting technology of the Audi Q6 e-tron

The active digital light signature of the Audi Q6 e-tron is a world first. In addition, the communication lights in the rear lights and headlights the communication light in the taillights and headlights can contribute to increasing road safety. Both functions are made possible by second-generation digital OLED technology and digital daytime running lights.

missing translation: fa.article-intro.reading-time – Copy: Bernd Zerelles - Photo: AUDI AG Nadia Riaz-Ahmed – 05/08/2024

Rear view of the Audi Q6 e-tron.

In the second generation of the digital OLED rear lights of the Audi Q6 e-tron, the active digital light signature combines the signature and movement of the light for the first time.

In the second generation of the digital OLED rear lights of the Audi Q6 e-tron, the active digital light signature combines the signature and movement of the light for the first time.

The Audi brand aims to make “Progress through technology” accessible to its customers in fascinating vehicles. This also applies to lighting technology. Audi has been consistently and progressively leading the way in this field for years, driving forward the digitisation of light –and is currently demonstrating this lead once again with a world first in the new Audi Q6 e-tron.


Light comes alive

The active digital light signature combines the signature and movement of light for the first time. The aim of the Audi designers is to visualise agility and personal interaction with the Audi Q6 e-tron through constant movement of light. At first glance, the headlights and rear lights appear communicative and intelligent. The active digital light signature is protected and patented by Audi and, as a unique lighting design in the Audi Q6 e-tron, makes “Progress through lighting technology” visible in series production.


Technologically, this is a masterstroke by the Audi lighting development engineers. A software module of the new E³ 1.2 electronics architecture generates a new image of the active digital light signature every ten milliseconds using a specially developed algorithm. In the second generation of digital OLED rear lights, which the Audi Q6 e-tron has for the first time in series production, 360 segments in six digital OLED panels can be controlled for a customised lighting design. This technological advance enabled the developers to create a dynamic lighting design such as the active digital light signature. The active digital light signature with twelve segments that dim up and down is created in the digital daytime running lights of the matrix LED headlights at the front.

And that is the crucial point: dimming up and down. Dr Werner Thomas, project manager for digital OLED and exterior displays, is responsible for the development of the technology: “Legislation prohibits any variation in brightness in a vehicle’s lighting function. During pre-development, however, we discovered that we could divide our OLED component into switchable segments. This means that we can make one segment brighter and dim a sub-segment darker at the same time, so that people can see movement. However, a control instance in the software ensures that the light intensity always remains constant.“

One of the keys to Audi’s success in bringing this innovation to series production is early coordination with the technical services of the vehicle homologation authority. Florian Runkel, responsible for implementing the exterior light function in series production: “We’ve spent years in very constructive discussions with the authorities, describing what we intend to do, showing prototypes, carrying out light image measurements, adapting algorithms, providing evidence. Always making sure that we comply with the legal boundary conditions, especially when it comes to the constant light intensity.


The active digital light signature combines the signature and movement of light for the first time.

Rear lights of the Audi Q6 e-tron.

The new Audi Q6 e-tron features second-generation digital OLED rear lights for the first time in series production. The innovative technology ensures unique homogeneity and a very high contrast in the design.

Headlights of the Audi Q6 e-tron.

The second-generation digital daytime running lights in the Matrix LED headlights of the Audi Q6 e-tron have not only been redesigned, but also allow users to customise them in a completely new way.

The new Audi Q6 e-tron features second-generation digital OLED rear lights for the first time in series production. The innovative technology ensures unique homogeneity and a very high contrast in the design.

The second-generation digital daytime running lights in the Matrix LED headlights of the Audi Q6 e-tron have not only been redesigned, but also allow users to customise them in a completely new way.

Symbols in the rear lights

Intensive coordination with the authorities took place not only on the active digital light signature, but also on the second innovation in lighting technology in the Audi Q6 e-tron, the communication lights, extending the proximity detection already familiar from other Audi models. The communication lights can contribute to increasing road safety by warning other road users of accident and breakdown sites, which they obtain from swarm data. 

To this end, the communication lights in the second-generation digital OLED combination rear light display a specific static taillight signature with an integrated triangle warning symbol in addition to the regular taillight graphic. The communication light warning will we displayed when the hazard warning lights, an emergency call, a breakdown call, the emergency brake lights, Emergency Assist or the exit warning function are activated. In addition, the communication lights use a specific light signature at the front and rear to indicate the status of the vehicle’s parking assistant when it is in an automated parking manoeuvre*.
Audi is the only car manufacturer to have recognised the potential of OLED lighting technology and has consistently developed and digitised it. Leon Werner Schmidt, functional project manager for communication lights and digital light signatures: “This technology as an Audi USP enables us to functionally expand the scope of the rear lights to include car-to-x communication and content, such as symbols in the rear lights.”

This could also point the way to the future of automated driving. Selina Hirsch, Communication Lighting Strategy: “When you think about autonomous* driving, you want to communicate via the outer skin of the vehicle using light. The rear is the ideal place for this, as it can be seen by all vehicles travelling behind. We are increasing our use of OLED technology to create a display because we want to communicate with our surroundings.”


The communication lights can contribute to increasing road safety by warning other road users of accident and breakdown sites.

Communication lights of the Audi Q6 e-tron.

When developing the warning symbols for the communication lights, Audi carried out many of its own studies to find out which symbols can be recognised intuitively from a relevant distance and at which height of the OLED they achieve the best perception.

When developing the warning symbols for the communication lights, Audi carried out many of its own studies to find out which symbols can be recognised intuitively from a relevant distance and at which height of the OLED they achieve the best perception.

 
Front view of the Audi Q6 e-tron.

Charging performance & efficiency

The new Audi Q6 e-tron not only offers innovative lighting technologies. The first production model from Audi on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) also has a newly developed high-voltage battery with 800-volt technology and efficient thermal management for shorter charging times, greater range and a longer service life.

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The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. On September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. Therefore, the usage of CO2 emission values measured according to WLTP for vehicle taxation from 1st September 2018 on can cause changes in this regard as well. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit www.audi.de/wltp or https://www.audi.ie/en/wltp-lp/

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such times as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle. Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO₂ emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the guide “Information on the fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and electricity consumption of new cars”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Strasse 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen, Germany (www.dat.de).