Audi's Electric SUV Has Screens and Cameras Instead of Traditional Side Mirrors

Audi looks like it will replace traditional side mirrors in favor of virtual mirrors that use small cameras and touchscreen displays.
Jessica Miley

Audi is considering replacing its cars' side mirrors with cameras. In a move that Tesla tried and abandoned, the German Automaker seems to be pushing ahead with the incredible technology.

Audi has released a video showing its all-electric e-tron quattro SUV with small displays built into the car's doors. Audi says that the mirrorless system assisted them to achieve “a drag coefficient of 0.28” on the e-tron quattro prototype.

Several automakers had toyed with the idea of a mirrorless vehicle but the technology had never been good enough until now. In 2013 Tesla famously unveiled a Model X prototype without side mirrors, in an attempt to get superior aerodynamic performance.

The electric vehicle was proposed to have small cameras where the mirrors would be with a live feed delivered to the car's interior. CEO of Tesla Elon Musk commented at the time that he had trouble getting the idea any form of approval from road safety authorities.

However, it seems that with technological advances the option is back on the table and Audi have been the first to seriously try it out. Reducing a car's drag coefficient increases fuel efficiency and gives greater range to electric cars.

The short video from Audio shows the small displays have touch screen capabilities and show a scene typical to what is useful from a traditional side mirror.